Danganronpa: The Hope Ending
by DMBadger
Summary: My name is Naegi Makoto, and I'm trapped in a school of mutual killings with fourteen others. Who will win? Hope or despair? (Rated M for death and Mondo's potty mouth!)
1. Day 1 Part 1: The Letter

**A/N: I do not own any characters in this story!**

 **Warning! This fanfic series contains death and spoilers! If don't like death or don't want spoil the game and/or anime, GO SOMEWHERE ELSE!**

* * *

My name is Naegi Makoto, and this is the story of hope and despair.

It's also the story of how I lost some of those whom I've just met, only to gain them back in the end.

It all started with a simple letter…

"Dear Mr. Makoto, congratulations!" I read out loud to my mother. "You have been chosen to enrol at Hope's Peak Academy! Me and fifteen other students eagerly await your arrival! We hope to see you there! Sincerely, Jin Kirigiri."

"Eeee!" My mom squealed in excitement as she hugged me tightly. "My little Naegi is growing up!"

"Th-That's great, mom!" I managed to squeak out. "But can you let go? I c-can't breathe!"

"Oh!" My mom gasped as she let go of me. "Sorry, Naegi! I'm just so excited!"

"Well, who could blame you?"

Just then, my dad walked into the room we were in. "Hey, sport!" He greeted. "The car's ready. Are you?"

"Yeah!" I said excitedly as I ran to the car.

Little did I know; this simple school trip would change my life forever…

* * *

There it was; Hope's Peak Academy. The most famous school in the city. Only those who were picked got to enrol here. I always dreamed of going here, even just for a visit! And now I get to go to high school here? This was the proudest moment of my life!

"Alright, Naegi. We're here!" My dad said. "You have an awesome first day!"

"I will!" I said as I got out of the car. My dad drove off. Presumably back home. I waved as he drove off, but as soon as he was out of my sight, my whole attitude changed. I started to feel lost, like I didn't belong there. I could feel myself losing my nerve.

"But still…" I said to myself. "I can't just stand here in front of this gate forever…"

Frozen in place, murmuring to myself, I opened the gate and began walking towards the entrance. As I walked, I thought about the thread I visited to prep myself for this very day. All I saw was talk about "ultimate" students, who were way beyond your average high schooler.

For example, one incoming student is the "Ultimate Pop Sensation". I guess she's a high school girl who's also the lead singer for a pop group famous all over the country.

There's also the "Ultimate Baseball Star". He was the cleanup hitter for the national high school champs. Pro teams already have their eyes on him.

Then there's the "Ultimate Fashionista". She's been on tons of fashion magazines. She's what every high school girl wants to be.

Oh, and they mentioned the "Ultimate Biker Gang Leader" too. The scary thing is, he's the de facto leader of every biker gang in Japan. Gangs everywhere love the guy…

On top of that, there's the Ultimate Martial Artist, the Ultimate Fanfic Creator, the Ultimate Gambler, the Ultimate Swimming Pro, the Ultimate Programmer, the Ultimate Clairvoyant, and then some. Reading that made me realize how totally powerless I was it was the country's finest, top to bottom. I felt like a little house cat who'd wandered into a pride of lions.

But still, there was something I couldn't stop thinking about.

You see, there were a few students who I couldn't find any info on, no matter how much I looked. With all those "ultimate" students, I'm the only one without any kind of worthwhile talent.

But then, what about those other new students who didn't seem to pop up anywhere? Could they just be average students like me, without any talent or anything?

The thought was kind of encouraging. I mean, I know I don't have much in the way of personality. But beyond that, there's an even bigger issue…

How did such an unbelievably average student like me get picked to come to this "ultimate" high school?

That question lingered in my mind like an eye floater in front of your eye after you blink them in front of a light. Nothing on the acceptance letter said anything about it, and I supposed that the only way to find out was to wait.

But after hearing how graduating was a "guarantee for success" later in life, I just couldn't say no.

When I got to the front door, I gathered up all my determination and tried to act like I'd done this a million times before. I took a deep breath in and out, I opened to front door.

Inside was very typical. Columns lettered the place to keep the ceiling up, to my left was a bulletin board with a list of events on it, and above it was a clock. There was no one else around, so I figured I was the first one here.

The clock above the board read 7:10 AM. The meeting doesn't start until 8 o'clock, so there's still a full 50 minutes left. It makes sense nobody would be here yet, I was so wound up, I got here way too early. I have plenty of time before the meeting, so just standing around waiting isn't exactly what I had planned. I decided to take a look around the school. Maybe that'll help me calm down a little.

"I AM a new student here now, so there shouldn't be any problem with me having a look around, right?" I asked myself. It'll help me kill some time, if nothing else.

Trying to play it cool, I took my first step not only into Hope's Peak Academy, but into a new life at a new school.

…At least, that's what I was hoping for.

But the instant I took that first step forward, me view became warped, twisted. It was like some kind of delusion, melting away and mixing together into something else. Spinning, mixing, melting away, then spinning again.

And the next moment, everything went black.

That was how it all began, and how life I knew it came to an end.

At that point, I should have realized that the reason I was brought to Hope's Peak Academy wasn't because of luck. It was so I, along with fourteen others, could experience ultimate despair…

* * *

"…Nng? Where am I?"

I woke up with my head resting on top of a hard wooden desk. My body feeling heavy.

It's pretty normal for me to zonk out in the middle of some boring class or whatever, but…

"What was I doing asleep here just now? This isn't a classroom I've ever been in before. What the heck is going on…?"

When I got up, I accidentally knocked something off it. When I looked to see what it was, it appeared to be an orientation guide of some sorts.

It read: "The next semester is about to start. Starting today, this school will be your entire world."

If this was someone's idea of a joke, it surely wasn't funny.

I slowly got up to look at my surroundings. There was a large chalkboard in the room, above it was an analog clock the read 8'clock. It was just after seven when I got here, so has it really been an hour since then?

Above my head was what looked to be some sort of surveillance camera. It's a dangerous world we live in, so I guess they have these to keep weirdoes from just wandering in.

Along the wall to my left were large sheets of metal with equally large bolts on it where the windows should be. To test my theory, a tapped it with my finger a couple of times. It made a loud clanging sound. Yup. Definitely metal. Think, and very solid, too.

"Okay, let's see." I said to myself. "So what might have happened is I got myself so wound up, I passed out in the main hall. And then someone carried me here…? If that's true, it must mean that this is a classroom inside Hope's Peak. But then if that's true…"

I then trailed off. That last thing raises more questions than answers. This is all really strange. The metal plates covering the windows, the security camera, it's like a prison or something. None of this makes any sense…

I decided to head back to the main hall. It was already past meeting time, and there might be other students there now.

When I got out into the hall, it was illuminated by a strange, purple light. This was getting stranger by the second. Honestly, I had no idea what was going on. Without a second thought, I started to make my way to the main hall.

I made my way out through the purple hallway, and into another. This time, the lights were green. Not dwelling on it too much, I focused on my current task: Getting back to the main hall. But by the time I got there, everyone else was already there.

"Whoa, hey!" Exclaimed a student with frizzy, brown hair. "Another new kid?"

"Huh?" I asked in confusion. "Then you guys are all…?"

"Yeah… We're all new here." Said a short student with blonde hair. "Today's supposed to be our first day of class."

"So counting him, that makes fifteen." Said a very overweight student. "Seems like a good cut-off point, but I wonder if this is everyone…"


	2. Day 1 Part 2: Meet the Students (Part 1)

Standing before me were the "Ultimate Students" that had been hand-picked by the school. I looked around at everyone who'd gathered there, taking in their faces one at a time. Maybe I was just imagining it, but I swear I could feel a kind of aura coming from each of them…

I then spoke up as to not be rude. "Um… How's it going?" I greeted. "My name's Naegi Makoto. Sorry I'm late. A bunch of stuff happened, and them all of a sudden I was just… Asleep."

"Whoa, you too?" Asked the student with the frizzy hair in shock.

"Things just keep getting curiouser and curiouser…" Mused a student with long, black, tornado braids.

"So strange…" Said the overweight student. "I declare beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is a strange situation indeed!"

"Um… What are you talking about?" I asked him. "I honestly have no idea what's going on right now."

"Just a moment!" Yelled a student with large, bushy eyebrows and a white uniform. "There's something else we must address!" He then pointed at me furiously. "Naegi! Your tardiness is unacceptable! Surely you were aware the meeting was to start at 8 AM sharp! To be late on your first day is unspeakable! I must report you, and you must accept your due punishment!"

Just then a student with large pigtails spoke up. "What's your problem?" She said. "It's not like he wanted to be late. He didn't have any control over it.

"Everyone just calm down!" Yelled a student with a red jacket and a ponytail. "Listen, why don't we all go around and introduce ourselves?"

"The hell!?" Complained a student with a black coat and a strange-looking haircut. "Now's no time for friggin' introductions!"

"Maybe, but it may be good to at least find out who we all are before digging into the bigger problem here." Suggested the student with long, black, tornado braids. "I mean, how are we even supposed to talk to each other if we do not know each other's names?"

"That's a good point…" The short student with blonde hair shyly said.

"Okay, so let's get introductions out of the way, then we can move on to whatever else. Sound good?" Said a student with long, blue hair.

I'm still totally lost, but I think it's best to just focus on getting to know each other for now. So I guess this is as good a chance as I'm gonna get. I already looked everyone up on that online thread, but I still don't know what kind of people they actually are.

Time to find out…

Everyone else besides me lined up against a wall and I started to go down the line.

"I'm Ishimaru Kiyotaka. I believe in bold simplicity!" Said the student with the large, bushy eyebrows and the white uniform. "Let's work together on our educational crusade!"

So that's Ishimaru. According to what I saw about him on that thread, he went to a privet school and won top honors every year. He's basically a flawless honor student. He's also known for the work he's done with his community's Public Morals Committee. They say he respects rules above all else, earning him the title of Ultimate Moral Compass.

"Anyway, you said your name was Naegi Makoto, right?" He asked. I nodded. "That's a good name, a strong name! You should thank your parents for giving you such an excellent name. And to keep that name from losing its value, you must devote yourself every single day! Life is worth putting every ounce of effort into it! Right? Right!"

This guy is… Kind of annoying.

"N-Not that you'll remember my n-name anyway, but…" Stammered a student with long pigtails and large glasses. "F-Fukawa. Fukawa Toko."

Yeah, she wrote a novel when she was ten that got everyone talking and launched her literary career. Then two years ago she released "So Lingers the Ocean", a love story said to be her masterpiece. The book was such a hit with women, that fishermen quickly shot to the top of every "Hottest Men" poll. Despite her age, she's won countless literary prizes and all her books are instant best-sellers. Which is why she's come to be known as the Ultimate Writing Prodigy. What else would you call such a young and talented author? But I figured she'd be a lovey-dovey type, what with her masterpiece being a romance and all…

"Wh-What? I-It's not polite to stare, you know." She said before getting angry. "Stop staring at me like I'm some filthy creature!"

"F-Filthy creature?" I stammered" No, I just thought-"

"I-I know what you "just" thought…!" She interrupted. "You just thought you've n-never seen such an ugly woman. You just th-thought it was sooo funny…!"

"N-No, that's not what I was thinking at all…"

"Don't bother trying to l-lie to me!" She angrily exclaimed. "Otherwise, you… I know you can't stand looking at me! Wh-Whatever, I don't care. I'm used to it…"

Wow, talk about an inferiority complex. I was waaay off about what a successful author would be like…

"Hi, I'm Maizono Sayaka." The student with the long, blue hair cheerfully said. "I look forward to getting to know you!"

The way she moves is positively mesmerizing. And that peasant scent I can't quite place… Maizono Sayaka… When I saw her name in that thread online, frankly, I was pretty surprised. She's in a pop group famous all across the country. In fact, she's their lead singer! As the Ultimate Pop Sensation, she's in high demand to appear on TV and in magazines everywhere. But actually, that's not the only reason I was so surprised to find out she'd be going to this school. I'm sure she doesn't remember, but… Well, never mind. No matter how you slice it, she's really beautiful. Almost like a doll or something…

"I'm not a doll you know. I'm alive!" She said suddenly.

"Huh?" I gasped in surprise. "Did you hear me!?"

"I'm psychic." She said seriously before going happy again. "I'm kidding! I just have a really good intuition."

She's a sharp one…

"Huh?" She said suddenly. "Hey, by any chance…?"

"Now what?" I asked curiously.

"…Yeah, it must be. I'm sure of it. Hey, Naegi. Did-"

Before Maizono could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by Ishimaru's banter. "Jeez, you guys! How long do you plan to waste our valuable time with this ridiculous back-and-forth?!"

"S-Sorry." Apologized Maizono. "Just got carried away, I guess…"

Self -introductions are for introducing yourself, not bumbling through a bunch of idle chit-chat!"

"Y-You're right." Maizono said embarrassingly. "Sorry, Naegi. We can talk about this later."

It sounded like Maizono really had something she wanted to say. But it's not like we'll never see each other again. Like she said, we can talk about it later.

"Yo!" Greeted a student with red hair and a chain necklace. "The name's Leon Kuwata. What's up?

I recognize that name. he played for the national high school chaps as their cleanup hitter. The Ultimate Baseball Star… And that superb athletic specimen is…

"You? Seriously!?" I accidentally blurted out.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Leon asked in concern.

"N-Nothing, I'm just… Surprised." I said. "I figured with you being the Ultimate Baseball Star and all…"

"What, were you expecting some kid with a shaved head?"

"Shaved head…?" I began. "No, I was expecting more of a, you know, sporty-looking traditional baseball player type. I mean, when I found that article and picture of you online, that's how you looked then."

"What!?" Leon said in disbelief. "Aw man, you found that picture of me playing baseball? Seriously!? I hate that picture! This is not cool. This is SO not cool… I'm like, mega embarrassed right now. I didn't have a choice, okay? Shaving your head like that is part of national championship regulations! But now I refuse to cut my hair. And I'm not gonna dye it back to normal either! Actually, can I be totally honest with you? I don't like baseball. Like, at all. I've never gone to a single practice."

That last line completely shocked me. He's never practiced, and he was still his team's star player? He's some kind of prodigy…

"And as soon as I got accepted here, I quit baseball for good!" He exclaimed proudly. "I have my own dreams for the future!"

"A dream… For the future?" I asked is disbelief.

"My only path in life is getting into music! You can feel that star-quality aura I have, right?" He explained. "I'm gonna be a singer, so all I need is a songwriter and someone on guitar, and we're set! This new version of me that's chasing after my dream is, like, super cool to the max!"

I can't believe what I'm hearing. I never imagined I'd hear something like that coming from a baseball all-star…

"I… Am Yamada Hifumi." Greeted the overweight student. "But if want to call me by my nickname, "The Alpha and the Omega", I don't mind. By the way, how much do you know about the world of 2D art?"

"World of… 2D?" I asked confusedly.

"Well, in that world, I am well known and supremely well regarded as the Ultimate Fanfic Creator." Yamada explained. "I once sold 10,000 copies of one of my fan comics at a school festival. The event has passed into legend… Some of them didn't get it, of course, saying I'd "tainted" the event. How stupid can you be?!"

That's too bad about the, but selling 10,000 copies like that is pretty remarkable.

"The words of such idiots mean nothing to me." He continued. "I am like Van Gogh; utterly unappreciated in my time. I am a soldier, serving night and day to destroy all mindless preconceptions about fanfiction. I'm sure you were to observe my work, Mr. Makoto, you would comprehend its greatness immediately. For my work is filled with deepest meaning…"

"What… What kind of meaning?" I asked.

"It's about embracing our basest urges…" He said mysteriously.

I don't think I want to comprehend it…

"Heya!" Greeted the student with the red jacket and ponytail. "I'm Asahina Aoi! But my friends just call me Hina. 'Sup?"

Asahina Aoi… She's been breaking records in every competition she'd been in since elementary school. She's even been chosen as an upcoming Olympic cadet. She is, without a doubt, the Ultimate Swimming Pro. The combinations of her ability, appearance, and um… Proportions has been wildly discussed online…

"So uh…" She began embarrassed. "What was your name again? Sorry, totally forgot!"

"Naegi Makoto." I said.

"Oh yeah, I knew it was something like that!"

"No, not "something" like that." I explained. "It IS that…"

"Sure, sure, got it!" Asahina cheerfully said. "Here, I'll hammer it into my brain right now! Naegi… Makoto… Naegi… Makoto…"

She just kept repeating my name and moving her finger across her palm like she was writing something…

"What are you doing?" I eventually asked.

"You don't know?" She asked confusedly. "If you wanna remember someone's name, you gotta write it on your hand three times!"

"I've never heard that before in my life…"

"Hey, by the way… How do you spell your last name?" She asked.

"You spell it exactly like it sounds." I explained.

"Hmm…" She said whilst rubbing her chin before laughing. "Well, I have no idea. Hahaha! I'll just figure it out later and write it down. Anyway, glad to meet ya."

"S-Sure, same here…" I stammered. Well, one thing I learned is she's totally easygoing and bursting with energy.

"Hello, nice to meet you." The short student with blonde hair shyly said. "I'm Chihiro Fujisaki… Sorry, I get kinda embarrassed whenever I introduce myself like this… Anyway, I hope we can get along…"

"Same here." I said while shaking her hand. "Nice to meet you."

"…Huh?" Chihiro gasped suddenly. "Maybe it's just my imagination, but… Have we met before?"

"Um, I don't think so." I said. "We just met for the first time. Which is why I said "nice to meet you"."

"Oh, yeah. Good point. Sorry…" She said.

"Y-You don't have to apologize for that." I said.

"Oh, yeah…" She said as she slowly perked up.

Chihiro Fujisaki is known for all the cutting-edge programs she's created. She's the ultimate programmer. She's also got that timid little bunny type thing going, which has endeared her to her legion of fans.

"Hey, so listed…" Chihiro finally said. "I-I'm really sorry."

"Huh?" I gasped confusedly. "What are you apologizing for now?"

"Well, just cuz… You seem upset." She explained. "You must be mad at me, right?"

"No, not at all!" I explained. "I was just lost in thought about something."

"Huh? Lost in thought…?"

"Yeah!" I cheerfully said. "It had nothing to do with me being upset or anything."

"Oh, that's good. I was afraid maybe you didn't like me." She giggled. "Hehe… I'm glad!"

I'm starting to understand why her fans are so into her… Anyways, after shaking hands with Chihiro again, I moved down the line.


	3. Day 1 Part 3: Meet the Students (Part 2)

The next student had lilac hair, a dark purple coat, and matching gloves. She just looked around and looked either worried or concerned.

Eventually, I mustered up the courage to speak. "Um… Can I ask you your name?"

"My name is…" She began. "Kirigiri Kyoko."

And then she went back looking around. She's pretty tight-lipped, huh? Oh, but you know…

Her name didn't show up anywhere in that Hope's Peak Academy thread. And I did see that there were students like me. Ones who didn't have any real identity or presence. Could this girl be one of them…?

I managed to ask her something else. "Um, so… What are you doing at the school?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" She skeptically asked.

"No, I just meant…" I began. "Getting invited here means you're some kind of "ultimate" something, right? So what ultimate something are you?"

"Why should I tell you?" She asked.

"Huh…?" I was completely flabbergasted at this question. "Well… I guess you don't HAVE to tell me."

"No, I don't have to tell you. So I'm not going to." She said.

Nothing about her turned up online, so I was thinking maybe she got picked by chance like me, but her face is like an iron mask. So if she doesn't want to tell me anything, there's no point in asking.

"Hiii!" The student with the large pigtails greeted with a peace sign. "I'm Junko Enoshima. Charmed, I'm sure!"

Anybody would recognize this one. She's got more charm and presence than any high school girl in the country. She's the Ultimate Fashionista. I've seen her on tons of magazine covers, but…

"I feel like that doesn't quite match up to reality." I accidently blurted out.

"Huh…?" Junko murmured before realizing what I meant. "Oh, are you talking about my cover photos and junk? Ahaha, well of course! Those are totally photoshopped."

"Photoshopped…?" I questioned.

"Yeah, you know, edited to hell and back. With like, computers and junk?" She explained.

"Oh, so they aren't real…" I replied with hint of disappointment in my voice.

"Come on, don't act so surprised!" She said. "You're gonna make me all depressed. It's totally normal these days to photoshop the crap out of cover photos. If you're surprised by that, you'd be totally blown away by a certain dangerous little diva of ours… they make our eyes and junk super big, and tweak the skin so it looks all ceramic and porcelain."

"Oh…" Was all I could say. So many dreams are getting crushed today.

"Name's Mondo Owada." Greeted the student with the black coat and strange-looking haircut. "Nice to fuckin' meetcha."

Mondo Owada, huh? Which means that he's the current leader of the largest biker gang in Japan. He's earned respect, even awe, from every other gang in the country. He's the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader.

"Umm…" I stammered. Trying to get on his good side. "Nice to meet you, too."

"Hell yeah." He said. I'd better be careful around him. One wrong word, and I could wake up at the bottom of the sea.

"I am Sakura Ogami." Greeted a student with long, white hair and large muscles.

Oh jeez, I almost asked her if she was a guy… The day I say something like that out loud is the day I get turned into a human meatball… But now I remember. She competed in a martial arts tournament and won, despite being a girl. She's the Ultimate Martial Artist. She's fought in over 400 matches, and never lost a single one.

That thread also said a bit more about her… Some call her Ogre; some even think she's the closest known relative to primates. The famed missing link. One user said "Any incoming Hope's Peak students who are reading this, let me warn you right now; if you value your life, avoid her at all costs." But standing in front of her now, I don't think they were exaggerating about that…

"Hey, you." She eventually said.

"Huh? Y-Yes!?" I snapped to attention without of even realizing it.

Then she started to poke and prod at my body… "Um… What are you…?"

"Muscular quality and quantity is right around that of an extremely ordinary high school student…" She said. "Hmph. What a shame. You're not at all fit to act as my training partner."

I'm not sure that's such a shame for me…

"Name's Togami Byakuya." A tall student with glasses uninterestingly said.

"Hi, uh…" I stammered. Reaching out to shake his hand. "Nice to meet you."

He just stood there looking uninterested. So I put my hand down. That's the most half-assed introduction I've ever heard… But there really isn't anything I can do about it. Even among the ultimate students, this one is special. Togami Byakuya is the heir apparent of his family's massive financial conglomerate. He's already started managing business operations, and his own personal assets are, well, vast. His title of Ultimate Affluent Progeny is completely accurate. He's the definition of "exceptional". That's everything I learned about him from that Hope's Peak Academy thread online.

"We're done with introductions, right?" Togami said impatiently. "How much longer are going to stand there? Go away. I'm sick of looking at you."

His aura said to me, "You and I will never stand on the same level." Like a king in training…

"I'm Hagakure Yasuhiro. Kure for short!" Greeted the student with the frizzy, brown hair. "Take it easy, yeah? I know I will!"

Hagakure Yasuhiro, known as "Supernova" in the psychic community, is the Ultimate Clairvoyant. Honestly, I don't really get all that fortune-telling stuff. It's pretty much beyond me. Still, I can't help wondering if there's any truth to it.

"Ahh…" Hagakure sighed as he rubbed his chin. "Okay, I give up."

"Huh? What happened?" I asked in confusion.

"I saw it." He began. "I looked right at it… Seriously, I totally saw it?"

"…Saw what?" I asked as I cocked my head in confusion.

"A guardian angel with a crazy perm chasing after Bigfoot running off with a skyfish in its mouth." He explained. "And that guardian angel… Is YOUR guardian angel! Nah, I'm just kiddin'. But hey, we should grab some brewskis sometime and get real deep into Lemuria and its civilization."

That last part shocked me. "What? We're not allowed to drink! We're in high school!"

"Oh, I'm actually 21." He stated. "I've been held back a few times, see, and… Well, it's a long story."

A few times…? Yeah, I bet that IS a long story.

"I do not think we have been introduced." Said the student with long, black, tornado braids. "I am Celestia Ludenberg."

"Celestia… Luden… Huh?" I said in confusion, trying to comprehend her name.

"Ludenberg." She explained. "It is my name. but if you don't mind, I would prefer for you to call me Celeste."

"Um… You ARE Japanese, right?" I asked. Not trying to be rude.

"Of course." Celeste replied. "Why do you ask?"

"If you don't mind… Could you tell me your real name?"

"Heh-heh." She giggled. "I don't know what you are talking about. Celestia Ludenberg IS my real name. But as I mentioned, I would much rather you call me Celeste."

She's polite, but pretty forceful at the same time. I don't think she wants to say any more about it… I guess the rumors in that thread were right about her…

The self-styled "Celestia Ludenberg", she's the Ultimate Gambler who's never lost a bet. Other than her obvious love of gothic Lolita clothes, everything about her is wrapped in a veil of lies. They say she entered and won an underground gambling tournament, earning the title "Queen of Liars". She totally cleaned out the other players, taking their life savings and laughing as she did it.

"I look forward to getting to know you better." Celeste eventually said before laughing. That smile is beyond deceptive. I'd better watch myself around her…

And with that, all the introductions were done. Hmm… Even though they're all "ultimate", they each have their own individual sort of… Um… Something.


	4. Day 1 Part 4: The Announcement

"Okay, time to get down to business." Stated Togami. "This is no time to stand around making friends like a bunch of dull=eyed baboons."

"Oh, that's true." I said. "I think someone said something about a bigger problem or something What was that about?"

"Well, you see…" Began Maizono. "Naegi, you said a bunch of stuff happened and then you were "just asleep", right? Well, the same is true for al of us."

"What?" I gasped in shock. "Seriously!?"

"Just after each of us got to the main hall, we lost consciousness." Explained Leon. "And when we come to, we were somewhere here in the school! That's what happened to you, right?"

"B-But that's just… Weird!" I said. "That every one of us would get knocked out like that…"

"Exactly!" Mondo Explained. "That's why we're all freakin' out!"

"And that's not the only thing." Began Ishimaru. "You saw where all the windows in the classes and hallways were, right? But instead of normal glass windows, it was a bunch of big metal plates! What's that about?!"

"Plus, all my stuff's missing!" Added Junko. "Even my cellphone…"

"Yeah, you're right." Said Chihiro. "I haven't seen my PDA anywhere, either…"

"And then there's the main hall here." Ishimaru said as he pointed to what looked like a vault door where the front door should be. "The front exit is completely blocked by some giant metal hatch. But there wasn't anything like that when I first got here…! What the heck?! What's it doing there!?"

"Maybe we got caught up in some kinda, like, you know… Crime or something?" Pondered Junko.

"What, like… A kidnapping?" Asked Leon. "You think maybe someone grabbed us and hauled us off and we're not actually at school?"

"Come on, don't think like that." Hagakure reassured. "I bet this is all just part of the school's orientation procedure. Yeah, I'm sure that's it! So I'm gonna take it easy for a little bit."

"Oh…" Chihiro said as she breathed a sigh of relief. "So you think they wanted to do something to surprise us?"

"Huh. Well if that's all it is, it's nap time for me." Said Leon before yawning. "I was up way too late last night, so I could use a little shuteye."

I could feel everyone's tension evaporating. Maybe it WAS just a joke, and classes were about to begin very soon.

But then… It began.

 **Ding, dong, bing, bong!**

After that strange sound played, a nearby monitor turned on to reveal a static figure of what appeared to be… A bear?

"Ahem! Ahem!" The figure cleared its throat. "Testing, testing! Make check, one two! This is a test of the school broadcast system! Am I on? Can everyone hear me? Okay, well then…"

The figure's voice seemed totally out of place. It was so playful, so completely unconcerned. I couldn't help but feel a deep, unnerving dread at the sound of it. It was like hearing someone laugh at the scene of an accident.

"Ahh, to all incoming students!" The figure continued. "I would like to begin the entrance ceremony at… Right now! Please make your way to the gymnasium at your earliest convenience. That's all. I'll be waiting!"

And with that, the monitor shut off. Leaving us all in shock.

"What. The. Hell was that just now?" Exclaimed Junko.

"Well, them, if you'll excuse me…" Togami said before walking out of the room.

"H-Hey!" Junko stuttered. "What, you're gonna take off like that!?"

"Ohh yeah, now I get it!" Said Hagakure. "This whole thing was just to get us all pumped for the entrance ceremony! Man, thank god it was all a joke. I'd be totally freaked if this was real! Alright, guess I'll head out, too. Wonder what they got planned for us next…"

And with that, Hagakure left the room as well.

"Damn, I was totally looking forward to that nap, too." Leon complained before leaving. As he left I could hear hum say, "Why'd they have to go and kill the mood?"

"W-Wait for me!" Called Chihiro as they ran after the trio. "I wanna go with you!"

"That is that, then." Said Celeste. "I will see you all there." She left as well.

"N-Not that anyone cares, but I-I'm gonna go, too…" Muttered Fukawa as she headed off as well.

Everyone took off for the gym, but I was frozen where I stood. That uneasy feeling I'd had before… I couldn't get it out of my mind. And it looked like I wasn't the only one…

"This… This doesn't seem right." Maizono said nervously.

"Yeah, that announcement was totally weird." Added Junko.

"Maybe, but staying put doesn't mean we'll be safe." Said Kirigiri. "Besides, aren't you guys just a little bit curious to find out what's going on here?"

"If we do not move forward, we learn nothing." Stated Sakura. "The only choice is to push ahead."

I… I guess she's right. But still… I'm kinda, no, REALLY nervous. We don't have a choice. We have to go.

"They said to go to the gym, right?" I finally said. Everyone agreed with me. But they decided to look around a bit, first.

I took a closer look at the large door. It looks like the kind of thing you'd see in a secret military base or something. Surveillance cameras with what appeared to be guns below them were above the vault-like front door. But there's no way that's a real gun… Right? This IS the same main hall I was in before, right? This door and those cameras definitely wasn't here then though…

"What was with that announcement?" Junko asked no one in particular. "It was like, totally creepy…"

Mondo let out a grunt of frustration. "Shit! What the hell kind of game are they playing?!"

Even Ishimaru was still startled. "Wh-What the hell? Is this some kind of bad joke!?"

"Something weird IS going on here, right?" Asked Maizono. "It's not just me?"

Kirigiri on the other hand was perfectly calm. "I know how you all feel, but… All we can do is check it out, right?"

"True." Agreed Sakura. "If we do not move forward, we learn nothing. The only choice is to push ahead."

"Are you okay?" Yamada asked in paranoia. "Is everyone oaky?"

Eventually, everyone agreed to go to the gym. So that's what we did.

* * *

The room before the gym was what appeared to be a trophy room of some sorts.

"God, I had no idea this Hope's Peak Academy place was gonna be such a pain in my balls." Mondo complained. "It really ain't that much different from the time I spent in juvie. Hell, this place is even worse!"

"And why isn't there anyone here?" Asked Maizono. "Walking though the halls, I didn't see a single person…"

"Isn't that like, seriously not good?" Worried Junko.

"Th-They're just trying to spook us! They'll take those metal plates down later, I'm sure of it…" Ishimaru assured us.

"All we can do now is hope for the best and prepare for the worst." Sakura stated. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

"Well hell, it ain't like I'm scared or nothin'. Let's get this over with!" Yelled Mondo before running though the doors that lead to the gymnasium. "Hey! Where's whoever called us here!?"

"Mondo, stop! No running!" Ishimaru called out before running after him.

"I too shall go." Said Sakura before going through the door.

"H-Hey, wait!" Called Yamada as he ran through the doors as well. "Don't leave me here all alone!"

The only ones left in the trophy room were Maizono, Kirigiri, Junko, and myself.

Kirigiri was scoping around the area in total silence. For whatever reason, she's the only one managing to stay calm. Or maybe I'm just imagining that…

Behind her was a display case. There are all kinds of trophies and plaques inside. Of course, all the students who go here are ultimate, right? So this is probably just a tiny fraction of all their awards.

"Where are all the other students?" Maizono pondered. "Why are we the only ones here?"

"I'm totally getting a bad vibe right now." Junko said nervously.

Then, without warning, Kirigiri walked through the doors to the gymnasium. And without a second thought, the rest of us followed.

* * *

When all of us were there, we all saw what was waiting for us there…

"Oh." I said out loud. "It really does look like an entrance ceremony…"

"See? Told ya!" Said Hagakure. "It's totally normal entrance ceremony stuff."

He was right. But in a way, that just emphasized how completely NOT normal all of us were.

Just then, the voice from the announcement was heard from somewhere. "Hey there, howdy, hello! Is everyone here? Good! Then let's get things rolling!"

We all turned to the podium on the stage. And from behind it popped… A teddy bear? One half of it was white which looked completely normal, but the other half was black, had a glowing red eye, and was grinning.


	5. Day 1 Part 5: Monokuma

"Huh?" Chihiro questioned. "A… Teddy bear?"

"I'm not a teddy bear!" Replied the strange bear. "I… Am… Monokuma! And I am this school's headmaster!"

It was the strangest thing I'd ever seen. Right before my eyes it was… Well, what I was seeing was utterly incomprehensible.

"Nice to meet you all!" He greeted. Such a bright voice and carefree attitude was completely out of place. And that anxiety I'd been carrying with me suddenly transformed into outright fear.

"Wh-? Waaaaaah!" Yamada screamed in terror. "That teddy bear can talk!"

"Calm down!" Stated Ishimaru. "I'm sure there's just a speaker inside it.

I told you already, I'm not a teddy bear…" Explained Monokuma. "I'm Monokuma! And I'm your headmaster!"

"Waaaaah!" Yamada screamed again. "It moved!"

"Seriously man, calm down!" Grunted Mondo. "It's probably just a remote control toy or somethin'."

"How dare you compare me to a child's plaything!" Exclaimed Monokuma. "You've cut me deep. Deeper than the Mariana Trench… My remote control system is so complex, even the folks at NASA can't recreate or even comprehend it! Ah, but don't make me say stuff that might destroy NASA's dreams. I just couldn't BEAR that!"

""Bear" that?" Questioned a skeptic Celeste. "Really? You are… Unfortunate."

"Now then, moving on!" Monokuma began. "We really must hurry and get started…"

"Giving up already?" Asked an annoyed Junko. "No other stupid bear puns?"

"Quiet down now, quiet down." Said Monokuma. "Ah, okay, so…!"

"He has abandoned the gag…" Sakura muttered.

"Everyone, stand attention and bow!" Monokuma said as he bowed. "And… Good morning!"

"Good morning!" Ishimaru exclaimed proudly.

"Y-You don't have to s-say it back…" Muttered Fukawa.

"Now then, let us commence with a most noteworthy and memorable entrance ceremony!" Monokuma began. "First, let's talk about what your school like here will be like. Now, ah, make no mistake; you few students, so full of potential, represent the hope of the world. And to protect such splendid hope… You will all live a communal life together solely within the confines of the school. Everyone will live in harmony together, and adhere to the rules and regulations of the school. Ah, now then… Regarding the end date for this communal life…"

None of us were prepared for what he was about to say next.

"There isn't one! In other word, you'll all be here until the day you die! Such is the school life you've been assigned."

"Wh-What did he just say?" Worried Fukawa. "Until the day we d-die…?"

"Oh, but fear not!" He continued. "We have quite the abundant budget, so you won't lack for all the common conveniences."

"That's the least of our worries right now!" Maizono exclaimed.

"Yeah, what the hell?" Agreed Junko. "You're saying I have to live here forever? You're screwing with us, right?"

"I am not screwing with you!" Monokuma explained. "I am no liar, of that you can be 100% sure. Ah, and just for your information… You're completely cut off from the outside world. So you don't have to worry about that dirty dirty land beyond these walls ever again!"

"Cut off…?" I muttered to myself in worry before finally mustering up the courage to speak to him. "So all those metal plates all over the school, they're there to keep us trapped in here?"

"That's exactly what they're there for." He explained. "No matter how much you may yell or scream for help… Help will not come. So what all of that in mind, feel free to live out your life here with reckless abandon!"

"Come on, what the hell is this?" Leon complained. "I don't care if the school or whoever else is behind it all, this is just a really bad joke."

"Yeah!" Mondo exclaimed. "Cut this shit out! It isn't funny anymore!"

"You keep saying this is a lie, or a joke." Began Monokuma. "A bunch of skeptics all of you. But I guess you can't help it, huh? You all grew up in an age where you're taught to doubt your neighbor… Well, you'll have plenty of time to find out whether or not what I say is true. And when that time comes, you'll see with your own eyeballs that I speak the undeniable truth."

"Having to live here forever would be… Quite the problem." Said Celeste.

"Come, now." Said Monokuma. "What's the matter with all of you? You decided your own free will to attend Hope's Peak Academy, didn't you? And now, before the entrance ceremony is even finished, you've already decided you want to leave? Oh, but you know… I guess I did forget to mention one thing. There IS one way for you to leave the school…"

"R-Really…?" Asked Fukawa.

"As headmaster, I've crafted a special clause for those of you who want to leave!" He explained. "I call it… The Graduation Clause! Now let me tell you about this funny little rule. As I mentioned, in order to maintain an environment of harmony here, we rely on a communal lifestyle. And if someone were to disrupt that harmony, they and they alone would be allowed to leave the school. That, my students, is the Graduation Clause!"

"What do you mean by "disrupt the harmony"?" Asked Togami, slightly interested.

"Upupu…" He laughed. "Well, you know…"

Again, none of us were ready for what Monokuma said next.

"If one person were to murder another." He chillingly said.

"M-Murder?!" I exclaimed in shock.

"Stabbing, strangling, bludgeoning, crushing, hacking, drowning, igniting, how you do it doesn't matter." Monokuma continued. "You must kill if you want to leave. It's as simple as that. The rest is up to you. Give it your all to achieve the best outcome in the worst way possible."


	6. Day 1 Part 6: Murder!

A chill shot down my spine. "You must kill if you want to leave. ". As soon as I heard those words, my blood went cold.

"Upupu." Monokuma laughed. "I bet THAT got your brain juices flowing! Beats the heck out of a human catching a salmon, huh? Like I said before, you guys are the hope of the world. But you know… Taking that hope and seeing it get murdered creates a darkened shadow of despair. And I just find that so… Darn… Exciting!"

"What the hell are you talking about!?" Leon exclaimed. "To kill each other is… It's…!"

"To kill each other is to kill each other." Monokuma explained. "I'm sure there's a dictionary here somewhere if you need it."

"We know what it means, that's not the problem!" Asahina exclaimed angrily. "Why do we have to kill each other?!"

'Yeah!" Added Yamada. "Stop blabbering on with all this nonsense! Just let us go home already!"

"… Blabbering?" Monokuma asked before getting angry. "Blabbering, blabbering, what do you mean blabbering!? Stop blabbering on about blabbering on! You guys don't get it, do you? "Let us go, let us go!"! You keep on saying the same thing over and over and over and over… Listen. From this moment on, this school is your home, your life, your world. Got it? And you can kill as much as you wanna kill! So go ahead, go on a kill-kill-killing spree!"

"Alright, come on…" Came a fed-up Hagakure. "How long you gonna keep this up?"

"Eh?" Asked Monokuma while cocking his head to the side.

"You got us, okay?" Hagakure continued. "You scared the hell out of us. So you can go ahead and reveal the trick now."

"Reveal the trick…?"

"Yeah, cuz I mean… Y'know, this is all some kinda trick and all, right? So uh, like…"

"Dude, shut the hell up and get outta my way!"

After Mondo said that, he shoved Hagakure aside and placed himself in front of Monokuma, his voice rumbling like thunder.

"Listen up, asshole!" He growled. "This shit's gone way too far! What the hell kinda joke is this?!"

"Joke?" Monokuma asked. "Wat, you mean like your hair?"

Having enough, Mondo roared out, and then he suddenly grabbed Monokuma and picked him up by the neck.

"Gotcha, you little piece of shit!" He roared. "I dunno if you're a toy or stuffed animal or whatever the hell! Either way, I'm gonna rip you to fuckin' shreds!"

"Waah!" Monokuma yelled in terror. "Violence against the headmaster is in violation of school regulations!"

"Shut the fuck up!" Mondo yelled. "Let me outta here, or I swear to Christ…"

Just then, Monokuma went silent as a loud beeping sound was heard from somewhere.

"What, do smartass comeback this time!?" Mondo said before getting angry at the beeping. "Stop that goddamn beeping and SAY SOMETHING!"

The beeping kept on getting faster and faster. Eventually, Kirigiri spoke up. "Watch out!" She warned. "Get rid of it!"

"Huh…" Mondo questioned as the beeping got even faster.

"Hurry up and throw it!" Yelled Kirigiri.

I didn't know if her ferocity stunned into silence or what, but without a word, he did what he was told and tossed Monokuma up into the air. And as soon as he did…

 **KA-BOOM!**

"The hell?" Mondo gasped in shock. "Th-That sure as shit wasn't a joke. It blew the hell up…"

There was a painful ringing in my ears and I could smell gunpowder. Explosions might happen all the time in movies or whatever, but when it's in real life… I'd never seen anything like it.

"But you know…" Chihiro said. "This means that the teddy bear's been destroyed, right?"

"I told you, I'm not a teddy bear!" Came a very familiar voice. "I am Monokuma!"

Just then, a second Monokuma appeared from behind the podium.

"Uwah!" Leon gasped. "There's another one…?"

"You son of a bitch!" Yelled Mondo. "You seriously tried to kill me just now!"

"Well, yes." Began Monokuma. "I was serious about trying to kill you. You did violate one of the school regulations, after all. I'll let you off with a warning this time, but you'd better be careful from now on. Any naughty boy or girl who violates my rules won't get off with just a little swat on the butt."

"H-Hey…" Began a nervous Junko. "So does this mean there's like, a bunch more of you around somewhere?"

"Monokumas have been placed all throughout the school, yes." He explained. "Plus, don't forget the surveillance cameras installed everywhere. And if you're caught breaking any rules, well… You all just saw what happened, right? Upupu… And I won't be so forgiving with my punishment next time. So don't let it happen again!"

"Th-That's not even a punishment." Stammered Asahina. "That's just… Wrong…"

"Now then, lastly…" Monokuma began. "To commemorate your joyous entry into our school, I have a little something for you…"

He then pulled out a blue, rectangular object with the Hope's Peak logo on it.

"This is our official student handbook! Pretty cool, huh?" Monokuma continued." "As you can see, it's fully digital. So naturally, we call it the e-Handbook!"

After he got down and finished handing them out, he got back up onto the podium.

"Ahem. Yes, well, moving on…" He began. "This handbook is absolutely vital to a healthy school life, so don't lose it! When you start it up, it will display your name. Always make sure you have the right one! Now, this is not your everyday notebook. It has so many more uses than that! Also, it's completely waterproof. Splash it, wash it, drown it, it'll keep on ticking! And thanks to its space-age design, it can withstand an impact force of up to ten tons. Very resistant! It contains all of our school regulations, so make sure you review them thoroughly! You'll hear me say this a lot, but any violation of school regulations will not be tolerated. Rules restrict, yes, but they also protect. Society, for example, would be utter chaos without laws. The same thing applies here! Which is why it's crucial we have strict punishments in place for violators. Okay, well… That brings our entrance ceremony to a close! Please enjoy your abundantly dreary school life! And… Se ya!"

And with that, he ducked back behind the podium and disappeared. Leaving us all in a state of shock.

"So, guys…" Ishimaru said after a moment of silence. "How would you define what we just experienced?"

"How…? Why…?" Leon questioned under his breath. "I don't understand any of this…"

"We have to l-live here forever…? Or k-kill?" Fukawa worried. "Wh-What…? What just happened?!"

"Everyone, we need to just calm down." Kirigiri stated. "First, let's take a second to summarize everything we just heard. Based on what Monokuma just said, we essentially have two choices. Choice number one is tat we each stay here, living a "communal life" together until the day we die. And the other choice is…"

Celeste then cut Kirigiri off. "If we want to get out of here alive, we have to kill someone. Right?"

"But…" Chihiro began while tearing up. "Killing someone… That's…"

"We were abducted out of nowhere and stuffed into this place meant to look like a school." Said Yamada. "And now we're supposed to start killing each other? This is… This is… This is just…! What IS this!?"

"A lie, is what it is." Ishimaru said. But I wasn't sure if was trying to reassure the others or himself. "All these ridiculous things we've heard… This all has to be fake!"

"Right now it doesn't matter if it's real or fake." Began Togami. "What matters is…"

None of us were prepared for what Togami was about to say.

"Is there anyone here who's seriously considering all this…?"

To that, nobody had a response… Keeping myself quiet, I looked around at the others. They all stared at one another, trying to gauge each other's thoughts. I could almost taste the hostility.

And that's when it hit me. I realized the true horror hidden within the rules Monokuma had laid out.

"You must kill someone if you want to leave". Those words had planted vicious thoughts deep within each of us. Each of us became suspicious of everyone else. We were forced to wonder, "I somebody going to betray us?".

And that was how my new school life began. This school, which had come out of nowhere to raise my hopes so high, is NOT a school of hope.

It's a school of despair.

My name is Naegi Makoto, and I'm forced to kill to get out of what appeared to be a personalized hell.


	7. Day 1 Part 7: The e-Handbooks

"You must kill someone if you want to leave."

My mind froze and my breath caught in my throat as I thought about that. I could feel a paralyzing fear slowly making its way through my body, dominating every last nerve. The air hung heavy on me, pressing down like a weight around my neck. It took everything I had to endure that weight…

But for as heavy the air felt, all it took to pierce it was Kirigiri's sharp words.

"So? What are you going to do now? Just stand around glaring at each other?"

Her pointed comment was directed at everyone in the room. It helped pull us all back to reality.

"R-Right…" Stammered Ishimaru. "She's right! Sometimes even if you're nervous or afraid, you just have to step forward! To forget such a simple fact… I can't forgive myself. I'm so ashamed! Please, someone hit me! I get forgive myself! Somebody hit me! Punch me!"

"Jesus." Mondo complained. "If you have time to yell about it, you have time to DO something about it."

"Perhaps, but… What is the mission, exactly?" Asked Yamada.

"Idiot! To look for a way out, duh!" Said Leon.

"And we totally need to find whoever is controlling that stupid bear and beat the hell out of 'em!" Exclaimed Junko.

"…B-But before we do all that, maybe we should take a look at the handbook…" Chihiro spoke up. "It's probably best to check out the school regulations Monokuma mentioned before doing anything else."

"True." Celeste added. "If we stumble around with no clue what the rules are, something like that might happen again…"

"Shit…" Mondo said under his breath.

"Fine." Said Junko. "Then let's hurry up and check out the stupid rules already."

We all did the same thing and turned on our e-Handbooks. After turning on mine, the first thing that appeared was my name. so just like Monokuma said, the owner's name showed up front and center. Then from the Main Menu that popped up, I selected the School Regulations icon. An itemized list appeared on-screen. It was the school regulations.

In other words, the rules are being imposed on us all.

The rules read:

Students may reside only within the school. Leaving campus is an unacceptable use of time.

"Nighttime" is from 10 PM to 7 AM. Some areas are off-limits at night, so please exercise caution.

Sleeping anywhere other than the dormitory will be seen as sleeping in class and punished accordingly.

With minimal restrictions, you are free to explore Hope's Peak Academy at your discretion.

Violence against Headmaster Monokuma is strictly prohibited, as is the destruction of surveillance cameras.

Anyone who kills a fellow student and become "blackened" will graduate, unless they are discovered.

Additional school regulations may be added as necessary.

Feeling a slight dizziness, I raised my face up from the screen. As I looked around, I saw the same stormy expression on everyone's faces.

"This is bullshit!" Yelled Mondo. "What the hell kinda rules are these!? I'm not gonna let them control ME!"

Celeste chuckled. "Well then, why don't you wander around the school without a care in the world and see what happens? Personally, I would love to see what happens when someone breaks one of the rules."

"But if he got punished like what we saw before I don't think there'd be a respawn waiting for him…" Said Yamada.

This put Mondo into a state of shock. Eventually, he spoke. "I…" He began. "Ever since I was a kid, I grew up with my older brother pounding this into my head… When a man makes a promise, he has to keep it, even if it kills him."

"…So what?" Junko eventually asked.

"I've made a ton of promises that I still have to keep, that's "so what"!" Mondo explained. "So I can't afford to die in here!"

"None of that made much sense to me, but you are saying you will follow the regulations, is that it?" Celeste asked.

"Huh?" Mondo questioned before realizing what she just said. "Oh, well… Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Hey, um…" Maizono spoke up. "I have a question. For regulation number six… What do you think it means exactly?"

Anyone who kills a fellow student and becomes "blackened" will graduate, unless they are discovered.

"You're talking about the second half, right?" I asked her. "Where it says "unless they are discovered"? I was wondering about that myself."

"It's saying that if you want to graduate, you have to kill someone without finding out it was you." Togami explained.

"B-But why…?" Fukawa asked nervously. "Why do we have to do that?"

"I don't see any reason to worry about it." He replied. "Just worry about to following rules as they've been explained to us. Frankly, I don't want to hear anything from someone who waits for others to decide what to do for them."

"D-Don't jab at me…" Fukawa said while… Blushing?

"More like a full-on stab…" Leon muttered under his breath.

"Well for now, let's forget all that silly junk about murderers or whatever." Said Asahina. "Now that we know the rules, let's start exploring the school!"

"True." Added Ishimaru. "We need to find out where exactly we are. Is there any way out? What about food and supplies? There are tons of questions we need to answer!"

"Damn straight!" Exclaimed Leon. "Okay, then let's start looking around!"

"…I'll be going alone." Said Togami.

"What!? Why?" Junko asked him. "That's a pretty stupid idea, don't you think?"

"Someone here might have already started thinking about murdering one of us." He replied. "Are you saying we should stand around with them in our midst and make it that much easier for them?"

"W-Wait, hold on a second." Maizono spoke up. "That would never-!"

"Don't bother saying it couldn't happen." Togami chillingly said. "You can't deny the possibility. That's why you all seized up in fear when that graduation rule was made clear to you. Am I wrong?"

"B-But…" Began Maizono before going quiet again.

"So, I'm simply acting in accordance with what I think is best for me." Togami said as he began walking towards the exit.

Mondo cut him off. "Hold on! Like hell I'm gonna let you run off and do whatever you want!"

"Out of my way, plankton." Togami stated.

"Wh-!?" Mondo said with a loss for words. "The fuck's that supposed to mean?!"

"One tiny bit of plankton, drifting across the sea." Togami continued. "So miniscule, so insignificant, they couldn't possibly have any kind of influence on the boundless ocean."

"I'm gonna kick your ass!"

Panicking, I then got in between the two of them. "S-Stop it!" I said. "We shouldn't fight!"

Mondo didn't take kindly to that. "The fuck did you just say? You some kinda goody-goody little bitch? Who do you think you are, talkin' to me like that? You think you're mu fuckin' dad or something?!"

"N-No, I wasn't-!"

"Fuck you!"

 **WHAM!**

He punched me, and I flew back in a heap. It was like something straight out of a comic book. I didn't even see the punch coming. It was just suddenly right there in my face. One second, I was just standing there, the next I was soaring through the air.

Now that I think about it, maybe I'd just kinda forgotten the kind of people I'd been trapped here with. My common sense had just… Stopped functioning. Bing around all these "ultimates" had just blown my fuses. So I guess I shouldn't be surprised it lead to something as absurd as this. But I'd just… Lost track of that sense of reality.

That was my last thought as my consciousness began to fade before it finally cut out completely.


	8. Day 1 Part 8: Awakening

When I finally opened my eyes again, what I saw was a bedroom of some sort.

"Ng… Gah…" I groggily said as I stood up before I looked around. "Huh…? Wh-Where am I?"

As if it had become a part of my daily routine, I woke up in yet another room I'd never seen before.

"Okay, so… Where am I now?" I asked myself.

Aside from the security camera and the metal plates, I was lying down on a bed. On a desk next to it was a notepad. I guess the school must have given one to each of us. Underneath it was a set of drawers. Inside one of them was… A toolkit? I figured that it must be brand-new since it's still in the shrink-wrap.

On the floor next to the bed was some kind of lint roller. I guess we're supposed to clean up after ourselves…?

In the middle of the room was a table with something on it. When I looked closer, I saw that it was a key with my name attached to it. I figured that it must be the key to this room. And since my name is written on the tag, it must mean that its mine. So I held on to it.

Next to the table was a trash can, and above it was a piece of paper.

It read:

"Announcement form Headmaster Monokuma. Each room's lock has been designed to completely protect against tampering or lock-picking. Remaking an individual room key is quite troublesome, so please make sure not to lose yours. Your room comes furnished with a shower, but please note that the water is turned off at nighttime. Also, the bathrooms in the girls' rooms include a lock of their own. Finally, we've prepared a small gift for each of you. For the girls, a sewing kit, and for the boys, a toolkit. The sewing kit includes a map of the body's vital organs. One stab will do the job, girls! As for the boys, we believe a strong blow to the head with any of the tools should be ample. Don't think! Just feel! And let's enjoy ourselves!"

After reading it, I took the sheet of paper off the wall, crumpled it up, and threw it in the trash.

The white door in the room lead what I think is the bathroom, but when I tried the handle, it wouldn't open. So I supposed it was locked.

"I think I'm starting to understand." I said to myself. "This room must be my assigned dorm room."

Someone must have carried me here after I fell unconscious from Mondo's punch. So that answers that question, the next being…

"What's everyone else up to right now?"

There's only one way to find out…

* * *

I rushed out of the room to meet up with all the others, but there was someone waiting for me there. It was like something out of an old TV show…

 **WHAM!**

"Ahh!" Grunted the person I hit.

"Oof!" I grunted at the same time before I noticed who it was. "…Maizono? S-Sorry! Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine." She replied. "I hope you're okay… Sorry about that…"

She had an embarrassed smile on her face. I stood up slowly.

"Are you okay, Maizono?" I asked her. "Are you hurt?"

Maizono chuckled as she slowly stood up. "You make it sound worse than it is. I'm completely fine. I know how I look, but I've actually built up some pretty good muscle jumping arounf on stage!"

"That's good then…" I said as breathed a sigh of relief.

"But…" She began worriedly. "Are YOU okay? You know, from when Mondo hit you?"

That's true… I got knocked out right there in front of everyone. I guess I revealed my lack of cool right from the beginning…

"Oh, uh, I'm fine!" I replied. "Nothing wrong here!"

"Oh, that's good." Said Maizono. "I was kinda worried…"

"Th-Thanks…" I said. "By the way… What are you doing here?"

"Actually, I came to get you." She explained.

"You came… To get me?" I asked.

"Well, if you really are feeling better…" She began. "I was hoping you could come to the dining hall."

"The dining hall? Why?"

"After you got knocked out, everyone decided to go and do their own thing." Maizono explained. "We decided it would be more effective if we split up to investigate. So, we agreed to get together later on and talk about what we'd each found out."

"So does that mean it's almost time to get back together?" I asked. "If that's what's going on, then of course I'll go with you!"

"Good." Said Maizono. "I'll go ahead and meet you at the dining hall, then."

And with that, we both walked to the dining hall together.

* * *

"It looks pretty clean, so that's good." Maizono said when we got there. "…Er, I guess that's not really important right now, with us being prisoners here and all."

"Yeah, that's true." I agreed.

Nobody was there waiting for us. We don't really have much choice. I guess we should just wait here for now.

"Hmm… Okay, let's just wait here." Maizono suggested.

"Huh?" I gasped. "You heard that?"

"Like I said, I'm psychic." She said before giggling. "Come on, I'm just kidding! Seriously, I just have amazing intuition."

Is it really just intuition…?

"By the way, Naegi…" Began Maizono.

"Huh?" I asked. "What is it?"

"W-Well, it's just…" She stammered. "I know this is kind of continuing the self-introduction thing, but I wanted to ask you something."

"Sure. What is it?" I asked.

"Naegi… Did you happen to go to Blackroot Junior High?" She asked. "Were you maybe… In class 2?"

"Y-Yeah, actually… I was." I responded.

"I knew it!" She exclaimed happily. "I went there, too! I was in class 4, though. Do you remember me?"

"Do I remember…?"

Even back in middle school, she was a celebrity with all kinds of "ultimates" surrounding her. How could I forget? Almost as surprising as her question was, I still couldn't believe she remembered me!

We'd never even talked to each other, but somehow, she still knew who I was.

"Hey, are you okay?" She asked. Noticing that I didn't respond right away.

"Oh, yeah." I replied. "I'm just surprised, is all. I wouldn't have thought you'd remember me."

"We went to the same school for three years, of course I remember!"

"Well, that's true." I replied. "But there were lots of students in out grade, right? Plus, I've never been the type of person to ever really stand out. I'm average at everything, and all my hobbies are totally normal. Even "normal" would call me boring."

"What are you talking about?" Asked Maizono. "You're so strange!"

That completely caught me off guard. "S-Strange?" I stammered. That's-!"

Maizono giggled even louder. That somehow mysterious smile of hers made my heart grow calmer. Her smile was the nicest smile I'd ever seen…

"Anyway, I'm really glad that I know somebody here." She said. "Talking to you has made me feel a lot better about all this… You're amazing, Naegi!"

"N-No, I'm really not…" I embarrassingly said. "I'm nothing at all compared to all you "ultimates"."

"But YOU'RE the one that helped me find my courage again. Not any of those "ultimate" students." She happily explained.

"Thank you for saying that…"

"And to thank you for helping me out, I'm going to become your Ultimate Assistant!" She suddenly said.

"Huh?" I asked confusedly. "My assistant?"

"Yup!" Maizono giggled. "I'm your assistant now! I'm going to help you as much as I can, so let's get out of here together!"

When she says things like that, it just gets me pumped up! Which is nice, but still, everyone else is still late. Besides that, I don't even know what time it is right now. There must be a clock around here somewhere…

The clock was above the menu over the serving window to the kitchen. It read…

"What!?" I exclaimed. "7 o'clock? At night?!"

"You were unconscious for a pretty long time…" Maizono spoke up.

I see…

Without being able to look out a window, I've lost all sense of time. If I have to stay in this place for too long, I might just go crazy…

"I can't believe no one's here yet." Said Maizono. "But I'm sure they'll start showing up soon…"

Almost like he'd timed it, Ishimaru threw open the dining hall doors right as Maizono said that.

"Ah, Naegi! Maizono!" He greeted. "So you two got here first, huh? Too bad… I was sure I'd beat everyone here. I guess that just means that I don't have enough fighting spirit yet! Well I won't give up! Next time, I swear I'll win no matter what it takes! Justice shall always prevail!"

"That's a bit much, don't you think?" Asked Maizono.


	9. Day 1 Part 9: The First Meeting (Part 1)

Soon after, everyone else came strolling in one after another. And after a few minutes, everyone had gathered in the dining hall.

"Okay!" Proclaimed Ishimaru. "It looks like everyone's here. Time to start the meeting! Let's all go around and share what we found out during out respective investigations! The sooner we find out what's going on, the sooner we get out of here!"

"Wait, hold on a sec!" Said Junko.

"What's wrong?" Asked Ishimaru.

"What about, uh…" She began. "What's her name? You know, the silver-haired girl. Uhh… Oh yeah, Kirigiri!"

"What about here?" Ishimaru asked suspiciously.

"She's not here."

"What?!" Ishimaru exclaimed. I took another look around the dining hall. Sure enough, she was nowhere to be seen.

"I wonder where she went. Has anyone seen her?" Asked Asahina. Everyone shook their heads.

"Wait, so nobody's seen her?" Asked a worried Chihiro.

Why hasn't Kirigiri shown up yet? Could it be because…?

 _"_ _Stabbing, strangling, bludgeoning, crushing, hacking, drowning, igniting, how you do it doesn't matter. You must kill if you want to leave. It's as simple as that. The rest is up to you. Give it your all to achieve the best outcome in the worst way possible."_

Remembering what Monokuma said made my blood turn to ice. Is it possible? Was she really…? No, no. I'm just overthinking things.

"Darn it, Kirigiri!" Ishimaru finally exclaimed. "You're really going to be late like this on the first day of school?! Not only is she late, she didn't tell anyone she would be late! A most unbecoming personality trait…"

"You're being a real jackass right now, you know that?" Said Junko.

"Well what do you want me to do!? Punctuality is everything!" Exclaimed Ishimaru. "Now then, I declare that the first session of the Hope's Peak Academy briefing meetings has begun!"

"Naegi…" Began Maizono. "Actually, first of all, I've talked enough. Mayb ewe should listen to what everyone else has to say."

"Okay, let's do that." I agreed.

"Hmhm." Maizono suddenly giggled. "You know…"

"Huh?" I gasped. "What's up?"

"I feel like I really have become your personal assistant, don't you agree?" She asked. "I may not be the best assistant in the world, but I'll give it everything I've got."

No… You've already done so much as my assistant.

"Okay, so since you're in the dark about all this, let me lay out on what's going on." Maizono began. "Everyone split up to investigate different parts of the building, but Togami and Ishimaru went off on their own, and so did Kirigiri."

"I wanted to try and find some clues as to who's responsible for imprisoning us here…" Togami stated. "But unfortunately, I made no such discoveries. That's all from me…"

"Really? That's it?" Asked Ishimaru.

"If I'd uncovered anything, naturally I would have more to say. But I didn't. so I don't"

"R-Right, understood." Said Ishimaru. "As for me, I spent some time looking around the dormitory, and there I made the discovery of the century! I found that there was exactly one room for each person!"

"Well yeah, I figured that out before anything else…" Asahina embarrassingly said.

"Each door already has a nameplate on it, so I guess all the rooms have been assigned already." Suggested Junko.

"And each room key was attached to a keychain with the owner's name precision-etched onto it." Added Sakura. Which confirms that that the room I was in earlier is, in fact, my room.

"And Chihiro and I found out that all the rooms are totally soundproof." Junko continued.

"Your next-door neighbor could scream their lungs out, and you wouldn't hear a thing…" Chihiro worried.

"Well, each bedroom also had a private bathroom, which could also lock." Said Celeste.

"But it looked like there were only locks on the bathrooms in the girls' dorms." Added Junko.

Huh? But when I checked my bathroom door before, it definitely seemed like it was locked… That's weird… I should double-check that later.

"Okay, so they got a bunch of rooms ready for us." Said an agitated Mondo. "They're assuming we're gonna be here a while…"

"Well, better to have than have not!" Stated Ishimaru. "At least we don't have to worry about surviving like wild animals."

"Th-That can't be all you have to r-report, can it Mr. Honor S-Student?" Asked Fukawa.

Ishimaru was silent for a while before he finally spoke up. "That's all for my report! Let's move on to whoever's next!"

"Anyway, like I was saying…" Maizono continued. "Togami and Ishimaru went alone, but it looks like Leon, Kure, Junko and Chihiro all grouped together."

"We all went up and down the school, double-checking the windows in all the hallways and classes." Began Junko. "We wanted to see if we could get any of those metal plates to come off. And what happened was…"

"Nothing." Leon cut her off. "Not a damn thing. We couldn't get a single one to budge even a little bit."

"There wasn't any hope of escape anywhere…" Chihiro trembled. "The school really has been totally cut off."

"This sucks…" Junko began panicking. "It REALLY sucks! It sucks sucks sucks sucks SUCKS! What the hell are we gonna do?!"

"Goddamn, calm down!" Leon exclaimed. "You're starting to make me nervous!"

Maizono cleared her throat loudly to gain our attention. "As I was saying: Leon, Kure, Junko and Chihiro all grouped together. The same thing goes for Asahina, Sakura, and Mondo."

"We thought maybe we could find some way to communicate with the outside, so we went looking all over!" Explained Asahina. "But… We didn't find a thing. Sorry…"

"I went back to the main hall, thinking maybe we could do something about that giant hunk of metal." Mondo added. "But even with Sakura and me both, it wouldn't budge. We hit it with desk and chairs, and nothin'… It was hard as, like… Metal."

"Well yes, it IS metal…" Celeste spoke up.

"Anyway, if we're gonna get outta here, it's not gonna be through there." Said Mondo.

Asahina began tearing up. "I feel like I could just cry… But no, I have to hold it in! I have to manage my hydration…!"

"I shall tell you what happened next…" Sakura began. "It has nothing to do with communicating with the outside world, but it's still worth worrying about. In both the school and dorm areas, there was a set of stairs leading up to another floor."

"But there were gates there, and we couldn't find any way to open them, so we couldn't check it out." Said Asahina.

"In other words, at this point we are only able to search the first floor." Stated Sakura. "We can further assume that there is potentially something above the second floor, as well. And if that's the case, there is at least a chance it may lead to a way out."


	10. Day 1 Part 10: The First Meeting (Part 2

**Before we begin, I would like to address some reviews I've gotten for this story.**

 **The latest one was from a guest which read: Is this story just a fic version of DR 1 or there will be changes? If there isn't… Wouldn't you think that this was pointless to write at all?**

 **Well, this is kind of like a novelization, but it'll have a different ending. Like the title suggests.**

 **The next one was from a user named GhostPyro. This one read:** **In the first chapter, its kind of weird for his family to be calling him Naegi, because they're all Naegi, they should be calling him Makoto.**

 **I sent this person a PM to explain, but I'll explain it here just to be on the safe side: I've switched some of the character's names so that it fits more to my liking.**

 **With that out of the way, on to today's chapter!**

* * *

"Anyway…" Maizono continued. "Celeste, Fukawa, and Yamada were left over, so they joined up."

"If I'm being honest, I can't quite say we acted as one." Celeste explained. "Rather, we did nothing as one. We spend the entire time in the gym. Honestly, we are not exactly the types to go running around a school like a gaggle of junior detectives."

"The hell were you thinking, just sitting around the gym the whole time?" Asked Junko.

"W-Well, it's not like any of you i-invited me along!" Fukawa said angrily. "Nobody said hey, c-come with us! I blame y-you for leaving me out! I-It's your fault!"

"If you wanted to go with someone, you should've just said something!" Exclaimed Junko.

"Hmph." Grunted Fukawa. "F-Forget it. Like I'd w-want to go anywhere with a dirty s-slut like you…"

"Slut…?" Junko asked in total shock.

"Your mind is as th-thin as your body." Fukawa continued. "You m-make me sick to my s-stomach…"

Junko didn't take kindly to that. "I… I don't even know how to react." She said. "How can you say something so awful to someone you just met?"

"Alright guys, everybody just calm down, okay?" Kure spoke up. "All this stress is bad for your skin, y'know?"

"Yeah!" Agreed Maizono. "It sounds like you two are so close now you're fighting like sisters!"

I… Don't think that's what's going on, Maizono…

"So that's what they have to say, huh?" Maizono continued. "Then I guess I'm the only one left. I went and looked around the dining hall. I found a fridge in the back of the kitchen, and it was overflowing with all kinds of stuff. I guess we don't have to worry about food, at least."

"Sure, for now." Worried Yamada. "But even with all that, there are fifteen of us. How long can the food last…?"

"Y-You can just eat sesame s-seeds or something…" Muttered Fukawa.

"Huh?" Gasped Yamada. Clearly overhearing her. "What am I, a parakeet?"

"I don't think we have to worry about it." Said Maizono. "All the food gets restocked automatically each day. At least, that's what Monokuma said…"

"You saw him!?" Junko gasped.

"Yeah, he came out of nowhere while I was checking the fridge, told me that, then disappeared again." Explained Maizono. "He was so fast, I can't believe someone could gave been moving him around with a remote control…"

"A weaponized toy that can just appear from nowhere…" Said Chihiro. "I can't tell if we're supposed to be afraid or not."

"But was everything okay?" Asked Asahina. "He didn't try to like, eat you or anything?"

"E-Eat her…?" Whimpered Yamada. "Um, what do you mean b that? I mean, when you say "eat", what kind of eating are we talking about?"

"C-Come on, man!" Complained Asahina.

"What the hell, fatty!?" Exclaimed Leon. "You're acting like some kind of sleazy drunk dude."

"Not like there's a good kind of drunk dude…" Muttered Kure.

"Hey!" Yelled Junko. "Stop screwing around, all of you! Are you still asleep or something? We're prisoners here! We could all die any second!"

"She's right. We can't be makin' stupid jokes right now." Said Mondo. "We gotta do something, or-!"

A voice cut through the noise, interrupting Mondo.

"You're all spending an awful lot of time yelling and carrying on."

The voice came from Kirigiri. "Do you really think you can afford to do so?" She continued. "Have none of you accepted the reality of the situation?"

"Kirigiri!" Exclaimed Ishimaru. "Where the heck have you been?! We already started the meeting without you!"

She didn't say a word. Instead, she just dropped a piece of paper on the table.

"Huh? What's this…?" I asked.

"It appears to be a map of Hope's Peak Academy." She replied.

"A map…?"

"Wh-What the…?" Stammered Ishimaru. "Where did you find this?"

"It doesn't matter where I found it." She said.

"It DOES matter!" Exclaimed Ishimaru. "You're really freaking us out right now!"

"Never mind that." Junko spoke up. "What's it mean?"

"Just look at it." Said Kirigiri. "The building right now is laid out in the precisely the same way as Hope's Peak Academy."

"So what you're saying is…" I began. "This really is Hope's Peak Academy?"

"Well, in terms of construction, yes."


	11. Day 1 Part 11: The First Meeting (Part 3

"But it looks like it's had a number of strange… Renovations done to it." Said Kirigiri.

"Renovations…?" I asked.

"I don't know all the details yet." She continued. "All I found was details about the 1st floor."

"But then…" Began Chihiro. "This really is Hope's Peak. We didn't get kidnapped and taken to some other place…"

"So stupid it's not even possible." Grunted Mondo. "This is where the country's future elite are supposed to come an learn?"

"But if this really is Hope's Peak, where are all the other students?" Asked Asahina.

"Hey, come on, guys…" Said Kure. "Let's just stop talking about all this… You know, negative stuff…"

"But aren't you worried?" I asked him. "Things don't look good…"

"Worried?" He asked in confusion. "What's there to be worried about? I mean, this was all planed out, right? The people in charge of Hope's Peak put this all together, right? Man, if I got stressed every time something like this happened, I'd have ectoplasm shooting out of my mouth! Good things come to those who wait, right? So we just gotta chill and everything'll work itself out!"

"Hahaha!" Celeste laughed.

"Wh-Why are you laughing?" Asked Fukawa. "What's so funny!?"

"I am just happy, that is all." She said. "It seems splitting up was a good idea, after all."

"Haven't you b-been listening?!" She angrily exclaimed. "Looking around was a t-total waste of t-time! We d-didn't find a way out, didn't f-find who's behind this. We still have no idea what's going on!"

"Huh?" Celeste cocked her head in confusion. "Is it not clear to you what is going on? It is perfectly obvious that we have been imprisoned in some secret location, with no way out."

None of us had any response to that. We didn't want to accept that reality, but it was staring us right in the face.

"You didn't h-have to go and s-say that." Said Fukawa. "I w-was trying not to th-think about it… N-No way out… We're t-trapped here. What are we supposed to d-do…?"

"It's very simple." Stated Togami. "If you want to leave, you just have to kill-"

"Don't even joke about that!" Exclaimed Junko.

"Everyone just calm down, please!" Said Maizono. "We need to stop and think about what to do from here."

"There's gotta be SOMETHING we can do…" Muttered Leon.

"All we can do is adapt." Celeste said out of nowhere. "Adapt to living out lives here from now on."

"Live here…?" Gasped Chihiro. "Are you saying we should just accept it?"

"A lack of adaptability… Is a lack of survivability." Celeste began. "Survival is not based on who is the strongest or the smartest. It comes down to who can adapt. As someone who has come out on top more than once, I have a suggestion."

"Huh?" Asked Mondo in annoyance. "What do you mean?"

"We all understand that we are trapped here. Which means we will be spending the night." Celeste continued. "However, you all remember the rule regarding nighttime, right?"

"Nighttime" is from 10 PM to 7 AM. Some areas are off-limits at night, so please exercise caution. Sleeping anywhere than the dormitory will be seen as sleeping in class and punished accordingly.

"So regarding this "nighttime", I think we need to add a rule of our own." Said Celeste.

"What do you mean?" I asked her.

"Going out at nighttime should be prohibited altogether." She explained. "The school regulations do not actually tell us not to go out at night. I would like to make it official."

"B-But why…?" Asked Fukawa.

"The way things are now, every time night comes we will all start to get worried and anxious. We will all be afraid someone might try and come kill us."

"What!?" Exclaimed Maizono.

"If we have to worry about that night after night for who knows how long, it will wear us down in no time." She explained. I didn't know how she was so calm throughout all of this.

Sakura then spoke up. "So you're suggesting we limit our activity at night as a kind of preventative measure."

"However…" Continued Celeste. "Unlike the other rules, nobody can be forced to comply. We all have to agree to follow it."

"I see what you mean." Said Junko. "But… I think I can agree to that. It's like the little goth lolita said. Without something like that, we're just gonna self-destruct."

"On behalf of all the men here, I agree to comply!" Proclaimed Ishimaru.

"Hey, you can't just decide to speak for us!" Exclaimed Leon.

"So everyone is in agreement? Good." Said Celeste after chuckling. "Then if you will excuse me…"

"Huh? Wait, where are you going?" Asked Chihiro.

"It is almost nighttime." Celeste stated. "I want to take a shower before it arrives. So… Goodbye."

Moving with pure elegance, Celeste left the dining hall. Her behavior seemed so natural, I couldn't imagine anyone trying to stop her.

"S-So I guess it's pretty obvious where we go from here." Yamada said nervously. "We'll be spending the night, it looks like."

"Adaptability…" Murmured Sakura.

Junko turned her attention to Ishimaru. "So, Mr. Chairman… What next? One person already left."

"U-Umm…" Stammered Ishimaru. "Well then, what say we call an end today's meeting!? Like she said, it's almost nighttime anyway. We can reconvene first thing tomorrow morning!"

"Do we really have to stay the night here…?" Worried Chihiro.

"We don't have a choice." Junko shrugged. "We can't go for long without getting some sleep."

"So we just have to give up…" Sighed Mondo.

"That's all f-fine and goof for t-today, but what do we d-do tomorrow?" Asked Fukawa.

"Our only option is to split up and look around again, and let everyone know if we find anything." Said Sakura.

"Yeah, okay." Agreed Asahina. "Let's do that…!"

"Then we're done for today?" Yawned Junko. "Good, I'm exhausted."

With heavy movements, everyone headed off to their privet rooms.

Maizono came up to me. "Naegi… Are you ready to call it a day?"

"Yeah, let's go." I said as I walked out of the dining hall with her.

* * *

When I got back to my dorm, I looked around. Is this really where I'll be staying for the foreseeable future? Oh, that's right. I should check the bathroom one more time before I go to bed. Only the girl's bathrooms should have locks on them, right?

I tried the bathroom door handle again. "It's no use." I sighed to myself. "It really is locked."

"Bzzt! Wrong! Not locked!"

I turned around in shock and found Monokuma standing behind me.

"Holy crap!" I yelled.

"Jeez, talk about an overreaction." He said. "It's like you just seen a ghost or somethin'! Like… Some kind of… Robot bear… Ghost."

"Wh-What are you doing here?!" I stammered. Still shook up.

"Naegi Makoto, this is super duper majorly bad! So bad it's almost magical!" He began. "Ultra magical awful awful attack! In point of fact, I acknowledge that the bathroom in your room has a problem with the doorframe!"

"Wait, so the reason it won't open isn't because it's locked?" I asked. "The door just… Doesn't fit?"

"Didn't you see the notice?" He asked in annoyance. "What, can't you read? The bathrooms in the boys' rooms don't have locks! I mean, a lock on a boy's bathroom is kinda pointless, don't you think? Well, it's that it's pointless, I guess. But I'm no expert on the birds and the bees and all that. Anyway, there's a little trick to opening this particular ill-fitting door. And that's what I'm here to teach you! Okay, ready? So you just gotta turn the doorknob, then lift up while you pull! Go ahead, give it a try!"

"Turn the knob, and lift the door up while I pull…" I repeated as I did just that. When I did that, the door opened without a problem.

"Upupu…" Laughed Monokuma. "See? It opened right up! Isn't that crazy, though? Your door's the only one that doesn't fit quite right! You're supposed to be the Ultimate Lucky Student, right? But it looks like you're not so lucky at all! Anyway, I suddenly don't feel like being here anymore. Bye!"

And with that, Monokuma lunged behind the bed and disappeared.

 **Ding dong, bing bong,**

After that familiar noise, the monitor in my room suddenly turned on and displayed Monokuma in a room filled with monitors.

"Ahem." He cleaned his throat. "This is a school announcement. It is now 10 PM. As suck, it is officially nighttime. Soon the doors to the dining hall will be locked, and all entry at that point is strictly prohibited. Okay then… Sweet dreams, everyone! Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite…"

At with that, the monitor turned off. Looks like it's nighttime. We all promised we wouldn't leave our rooms now.

"All I can do now is try to get some sleep…" I said to myself before collapsing onto the bed.

As I made myself more comfortable, I couldn't help but remember what Monokuma said to me.

 _"_ _You're supposed to be the Ultimate Lucky Student, right? But it looks like you're not so lucky at all!"_

What did he mean by "Ultimate Lucky Student"? Did he know my secret talent? What did that mean? Did I just have a lot of luck, or was it something… More?

My eyes closed almost immediately. It's not that I was ready for bed, exactly, I was just utterly exhausted. It was as if I'd spent an entire day staring at a TV watching movies. Or like some kind of illusion where I'd been tossed into a made-up fantastical world.

"There's no easy way to accept the situation we've suddenly been dropped into." I said to myself as I dozed off.

So this is how the curtain closed on my first day at Hope's Peak Academy. Soon enough, I was asleep. Would it be too much to hope that when I woke up, I'd realize it was all a dream? It's kind of lame as far as endings go, but I'd be fine with that. Actually, that'd be the best…

Sadly, it wasn't a dream, it was reality.

I was not prepared for the events that were to follow…


	12. Day 2 Part 1: Self-defense

**Ding dong, bing bong!**

I groggily woke up and turned my head just in time to see the monitor turn on to reveal Monokuma.

"Good morning, everyone! It is now 7 AM, and nighttime is officially over! Time to rise and shine! Get ready to greet another beee-yutiful day!"

The monitor turned off. Apparently, it's morning… But thanks to the total lack of windows, there's no way to know for sure.

Anyway… What should I do now?

Maybe I should go find Maizono, and we can figure out where to go from here together. After all, she did say she's my assistant now.

"Okay, it's decided!" I said to no one in particular. "I'm gonna head to her room!"

With a newfound determination, I left my room.

* * *

As soon as I left, I saw Ishimaru standing in the hallway.

"Good morning, Naegi!" He exclaimed proudly as he saluted.

"G-Good morning…" I said. Shocked that he was up before me.

"Yes, morning greetings are quite a delight!" He continued. "Such an energizing way to start the day! Now then, let's make sure we both do our very best throughout the day!"

"S-Sure…" I replied. I wonder if he's always like this…

Focusing on my current task, I walked over to the door that lead to Maizono's room. There's a doorbell next to the door. I guess I should use that.

 **Ding dong!**

Shortly after, Maizono opened the door. "Hello…?" She groggily said.

"Good morning, Maizono." I cheerfully greeted.

When she noticed that it was me, she became excited. "Oh, Naegi! Perfect timing!"

"Huh…?" I asked confusedly.

"Listen, I have a favour to ask…"

I cocked my head curiously. "A favour…?"

"I was just getting ready to come out." She began. "If it's okay, would you like to come with me? Maybe we could talk…"

"Yeah, sure." I replied. "Where are you headed?"

"Oh… Umm…" She stammered. "I've been thinking that… There might be something around here I could use for self-defense."

"Self-defense…?" I asked in shock.

"Well, I mean…" She continued. "Whoever's keeping us here could show up and attack us any time. You never know…"

Whoever trapped us here… Whoever presented us with rules for murdering each other… Whoever put us in this insane position… She's right. We never know when they might attack.

"So, I just want to be able to protect myself no matter what happens." Said Maizono.

A weapon to protect herself…

Well, now that I think about it, that display case in the gym entryway had a bunch of stuff. Maybe…

"Oh, the gym?" She suddenly said. "Okay, let's go!"

"A-Again…?" I said in shock.

"Like I said, I'm psychic." She seriously said before giggling. "Come on, I'm just kidding! Seriously, I just have amazing intuition."

Am I really so easy to predict? Anyway, we should head to the gym.

* * *

On the way to the gym, we passed by Asahina, Sakura, and… Fukawa? Fukawa together with those other two… Quite a combination.

She then noticed that I was looking at her. "What do you w-want?" She asked. "You l-look like you have s-something to say…"

"Oh, no." I replied. "I was just thinking that you three make a pretty unique team."

"L-Let me make this perfectly c-clear!" She began. "Me hanging out w-with two people who have muscles where th-their brains should be is not by ch-choice!"

Asahina didn't take kindly to that. "Wow, that was super mean! Yesterday you were complaining about how nobody invited you! That's the only reason I asked you come with us!"

"I never a-asked you to d-do that!" Fukawa retaliated. "S-Stop trying to drag me farther into y-your meat dimension!" After that, she ran off somewhere.

"Jeez, I can't believe she just ran off!" Asahina said after a short moment of silence. "You think we should go after her?"

"We shouldn't pressure her any further." Stated Sakura.

"Oh yeah, good point…"

They're like water and oil, anyway, it'd be weird if the DID get along.

I then felt Maizono tugging at my sleeve. "Come on, Naegi." She said. "Let's just head to the gymnasium."

"R-Right…" I stammered. I've completely forgotten what our current task was.

* * *

"Here we are!" I said as we entered the trophy room.

"Here we go." Said Maizono. "I might be able to find something here to protect myself with…"

Her eyes then fixated on the display case. "Yeah, I'm sure I'll find something in the display case I can use."

The second and third shelves were protected by glass, so we could only access the first shelf.

One of the items on the first shelf was what appeared to be a sword. No, wait, it was just a replica. Still, it's pretty impressive. It's completely covered in a gold coating. But curiosity got the better of me, and…

"Jeez!" I exclaimed as I reeled back. "I barely touched it and I got that gold stuff all over my hands."

"Wow, you're right." Maizono said when she looked at my gold-covered hands. "Your hands are totally gold! Even just for self-defence, I think it's a little…"

"Well, it's still better than nothing, I guess." I said.

"You should take it with you! It might help liven up your room a little." She suggested.

"You think so?" I asked. She giggled.

"But I guess you'd better be careful taking it back." She said. "You should wrap it in newspaper or something."

And just like that, it's been decided; I was taking the sword to my dorm room.

"I don't see anything I could really use for self-defense…" Maizono sighed sadly.

"H-Hey, don't worry about it!" I comforted her. "It's not like you need it right away, right? Plus, if anything WERE to happen, when the time comes… I'll protect you."

Maizono gasped at that last bit. "You'll… Protect me?" She asked. "Thank you for saying that… If I've goy you on my side, I guess I don't need a weapon after all!"

Maizono giggled as she said that. That mysterious smile… I can tell it comes from the heart. It makes me feel at ease… When I look at her, I honestly feel like I can do anything.


	13. Day 2 Part 2: Following Dreams

"Okay, we can stop looking for a weapon, then." Said Maizono. "But as long as we're here, let's hang out a bit more."

"Sure." I said. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Umm…" She began. "I know I said I wanted to talk to you, but now that we're here… I don't really know what to talk about. And I was the one who invited you to come with me, too. Sorry…"

"It's okay." I replied. "I mean, if there's nothing to talk about, then we can just not talk, right?"

"Huh?" Maizono asked in confusion.

"You don't have to force yourself to talk." I explained. "We can just, I dunno… Stare off into space or whatever."

"Stare off into space…?" Pondered Maizono.

"Oh, but you're probably super bored!" I retaliated. "Just standing around doing nothing…"

Maizono quickly shook her head. "No, it's not that it's boring, it's just that I've never really done it before. I don't have a lot of time to just… Do nothing."

"I-I guess that makes sense." I stammered. "You're not a normal high school student like me. You've got tons of stuff to do every day."

There was a short moment of silence before Maizono spoke again. "Hey, um… This is kinda out of nowhere, but, well, Naegi, do you have a dream?"

"Huh? A dream…?" I gasped. She was right. This WAS out of nowhere. "Umm… I guess you could say I'm still shopping around for one."

"Really?" Maizono giggled. "Well, I hope you find your dream someday."

"Thanks…" I replied. What's wrong with Maizono? Asking me about my dreams all of a sudden…

"Well…" I began. Still trying to figure out why she asked that. "What about you, Maizono? What's your dream? I'd love to hear…"

She seemed to light up at the question. "I…" She began. "My dream is, well, I've always wanted to be a star, as long as I can remember. I grew up without a mother, you know… And my dad worked really late every night. I was always home alone… I was just a kid, ya know? So I was really lonely. But all that changed when I saw a pop star on TV for the first time. She was so pretty, like a princess. And she could sing and dance… But more than anything else, there was her smile. Looking at her smile, I could feel my loneliness melting away. I decided that's what I wanted to be someday. I wanted to give that kind of encouragement to others. Eventually, that became my dream."

"That's so amazing, though." I said amazed. "You were able to actually fulfill your dream. Honestly, it's really incredible."

"I did whatever it took to reach that dream." She continued. "I mean it. Even some things that… Weren't so pleasant."

"Huh…?" I gasped. What on Earth does she mean by that?

"I honestly believed that as long as you kept chasing your dreams, someday they had to come true." Explained Maizono. "But to do that, you can't take your eyes off of your dream, not even for a second. Even if sometimes it's a bad dream… Whether you're awake, whether you're asleep… To make your dream a reality, you have to keep your gaze fixed on it no matter what. In that world, if you lose focus for even a split second, you get left behind. You have to keep on swimming against the current, without even taking time to breathe… That's the kind of world my dream lives in."

I was completely shocked after Maizono's speech. "I-Is it really that tough?" I asked her. "Is it not fun at all?"

"Oh no, don't get the wrong idea. It's super fun!" She explained. "But… That's exactly what scares me."

"Huh…?" Was all I managed to get out.

"I enjoy every single day I wake up and get to do what I do." Maizono continued. "We've been performing together since we were young, so they're all like family to me. Without them, I would have given up on my dream a long time ago. To work together, and fulfill our dreams together, has brought me so much happiness… But that's the thing that scares me the most. If the world gets tired of us, then what happens? What happens to us? Then the dream dies, those wonderful days come to an end, and everyone goes their separate ways…"

Maizono began trembling. She must be terrified. She worked so hard, sacrificed so much, to get where she is. She must be terrified of losing it.

"So that's the reason I decided to come to Hope's Peak." She finally said.

"Huh? What do you mean?" I asked her.

"Well…" She began. "They say that if you graduate from here, success is basically guaranteed. Which means I could keep on performing with my best friends, for ever and ever. At least, that's what I thought. I really did believe that, but no we're trapped here, with no way out. They're probably waiting for me… While I'm in here, the world out there is forgetting about me. Minute by minute, we're all disappearing. But still…" She trailed off.

"Maizono…?" I said while reaching out to her. But when I did, she completely freaked out.

"I can't afford to be stuck in here!" She screamed. That was the first time I heard her cry out from deep within herself. She sounds desperate, but I can understand why she'd feel that way.

Trapped here this way, the dream she put so much effort into is on the verge of disappearing forever. And that isn't something that can be fixed with kind words. The weight she's carrying… I can't even imagine it.

Maizono must have noticed that I was worrying about her. "Ah!" She gasped. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to complain… I kinda killed the mood, huh?"

"No, not at all." I reassured her.

"I'm really sorry." She apologized sadly.

I then spoke up. "Um, Maizono…" I began. "Actually, are you hungry? Before we head back, why don't we go to the dining hall and get some food?"

That made her happy. "So you want to make us something to eat?" She replied. "I might not look like it, but I'm actually a pretty good cook!"

"Wow, really? What's your specialty?" I asked.

"Chili oil." She said sternly.

"Y-You mean the condiment!?" I stammered.

"Just kidding!" She burst out laughing. Her earlier mood disappeared, replaced by the bright smile I'd quickly grown used to. But how did it happen so fast? It was almost like a mask, lie some kind of neutral expression.

Anyway, we headed to the dining hall to get something to eat before returning to our rooms.

* * *

The only thing different in my room is a fake sword covered in gold. All it does is make me feel that much more uncomfortable.

Anyway, there's still plenty of time left in the day. I really don't feel like just sitting here. Maybe I'll take a look around…


	14. Day 2 Part 3: Free Time 1

I walked over to my bedroom door and opened it. Only to find an annoyed Mondo standing there with an unamused Ishimaru behind him.

"Do I have to do this?" Mondo asked him.

"Of course!" Ishimaru replied. "Any abuse to any staff or students must not go unnoticed!"

"Fine…" Mondo sighed before turning his attention to me. "Look, I'm sorry I punched you yesterday. Ishimaru over there made me realize how "Not welcome in a school environment" it was."

"U-Uh…" I stammered. Was Mondo, the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader, really saying sorry to someone like me? I didn't have time to think about it because I was afraid it might happen again. "Th-That's okay!"

"Huh?" Mondo gasped in shock. "For real?"

"Yeah!" I replied. "I understand what you were going through. When my sister and I were really young, I called her a bully because she wouldn't share the sand pit in our family's backyard."

"Geez…" Mondo said under his breath.

Ishimaru smiled proudly. "There we go! That wasn't so hard, was it?" He placed a hand on Mondo's shoulder, but he instantly turned his back in retaliation. Ishimaru frowned in disapproval. "Now then, you should also apologize to Asahina for calling her 'Weird'. Come on!"

Mondo sighed again. "Alright. But after this, we're never talking about this again."

As the duo walked off, I couldn't help but wonder if Maizono was free. I walked over to her door and pressed the doorbell…

 **Ding dong!**

I could see her cautiously opening her door. When she realized that it was me, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"You know, Naegi…" She began. "I'm so anxious. I really am afraid…"

"W-Well, why don't you come with me?" I asked. That seemed to perk her up a bit.

"Are you going to… Try and cheer me up?" she asked back. "Sorry for making you take time out of your day like this…"

I talked to Maizono for a while. Trying my best to comfort her. I'd say we grew a little closer today if I do say so myself.

"Umm, Naegi?" She spoke up. "Do you think you could make time for the two of us to talk?"

"Wh-What's wrong?" I asked worriedly. "Why are you being so formal?"

"W-Well, it's just…" She began. "I guess that was kind of formal, but it's just because I know I can count on you."

"…Huh?" I asked as I cocked my head.

"Having you by my side really makes me feel a lot better." She explained. "If you weren't here with me, I just don't know what I'd do. I'd be lost… I hate that we had to meet again under such awful conditions, but… I'm relieved you're with me."

"Maizono…"

Standing here face-to-face and hearing her say that… It's nice, but kind of embarrassing at the same time.

"I… Know how you feel." I stammered. Trying to find the right words to say. "you being here is what saved me…"

"R-Really?" She asked in happiness before giggling. "Ehehe. Thank you for the flattery."

That smile…

That mysterious smile that softens my heart… I really wasn't flattering her. That smile saved me.

"But it's kind of strange, you know?" Maizono asked suddenly. "I never thought I'd get a chance to really talk to you like this. All through middle school, you never talked to me. In fact, you never even looked at me."

"It's because you were a celebrity." I explained. "I couldn't just go around staring at you… Wait, how do you know I never looked at you?"

"Because I looked at you all the time…" She replied.

"…Huh?" I gasped.

"I was always looking for an opportunity to talk to you."

"You… Wanted to talk to me?" I asked.

"But since I always had so many people around me, we ended up graduating without saying a word." She explained. "That was one of my biggest regrets."

"But… Why me?"

"Do you remember during our first year of junior high, that huge bird wandered into the school pond?"

Actually, now that I think about it… I do sorta remember something like that…

"It was like out of a fairy tale." Maizono continued. "The turtle once every million years, that bird once every thousand…"

A huge bird wandered into the school pond during our first year of junior high. I think it might have been…

"It was a crane!" I said. Finally remembering. "It just walked right into the pond."

"That's right!" Maizono replied. "That's what it was. It was so big, the teacher had no idea what to do. But you led it into the forest behind the school. You helped it find its way out."

Well, only cuz I was already in charge of taking care of the animals at school. They made me do it…

"I should have said thank you then, but… Is it okay if I do it now?" She asked.

"Thank me…?" I repeated in confusion.

"I'm that crane, you see. I've come to return the favor." Maizono said suddenly. "Here, let me make you a cloak…"

Then she giggled. "Ehehe. Just kidding!"

"Y-Yeah, I kinda figured…" I muttered under my breath.

"Honestly though, I was so impressed…" She continued. "That's why I always wanted to talk to you, even just once. I never imagined this would be how I got my chance…"

Yeah. If we'd met again at a train station somewhere downtown, that'd make for a nice dramatic reunion. But instead, it's this weird school.

"Maybe, but still…" Maizono spoke up. "I'm sure you'll help me find my way out, just like that crane. You'll save me. It's just intuition, I know, but I still believe it."

That last part stuck with me. I'm going to save her…?

"I'll do my best, I promise that." I reassured her. "I'll make sure it's more than just intuition. If there's anything I can do, I'm going to do it…!"

"I believe in you!" Maizono giggled. "Besides, my intuition always turns out to be right. Cuz I'm psychic. Ehehe. Kidding, kidding!"

She laughed out loud as she said it. The closer we get, the stronger that smile of hers makes me. I was glad to feel that way.

Once we were all done, I headed back to my room for a little while…

* * *

 **Ding dong, bing bong!**

After that familiar sound played, the monitor in my room turned on to reveal the Hope's Peak emblem, and then Monokuma in the monitor room again.

"Mm, ahem, this is a school announcement." He said after clearing his throat. "It is now 10 PM. As such, it is officially nighttime. Soon the doors to the dining hall will be locked, and all entry at that point is strictly prohibited. Okay then… Sweet dreams, everyone! Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite…"

It then turned off. Today's already come to an end. But I swear… Tomorrow I'm going to find some kind of clue! I swear!

As my eyelids began to slide closed, the conversation I'd had with Maizono that morning began to replay. In a way, it's almost frustrating. Even if I understand where desperation is coming from, I can't share it.

The pressure she's under is way different from anything a normal high schooler like me goes through. She didn't jut stumble into this school the way I did. So I can't say I feel things the way she does.

Compared to her… No, compared to everyone else here, there's no doubt I just don't match up. I guess that might explain my own frustration.

That night I had a horrifying nightmare.

A man with purple hair was strapped into a strange contraption in front of Monokuma. He then pulled out a small hammer and slammed it down on a big, red button in front of him. The man trembled as the machine closed him in and began blasting off into a very cartoony-looking sky. When it crashed back down, the machine opened up and the man was now all bone. All Monokuma did was laugh…

I screamed as I woke up. Looking around to make sure Monokuma wasn't there. Luckily, he wasn't.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I dozed off back to sleep.


	15. Day 3: Free Time 2

**Ding dong, bing bong!**

I slowly woke up at the chime and looked over at the monitor. It showed the Hope's Peak emblem, and then it cut to Monokuma in that strange room again.

"Good morning, everyone!" He said in usual creepy tone. "It is now 7 AM, and nighttime is officially over! Time to rise and shine! Get ready to greet another beee-yutiful day!"

The monitor turned off. Apparently, morning has come.

I glanced over at the fake, gold-covered sword. Even though it was clearly fake, I had a sinking feeling that it would play an important role. Hopefully I wouldn't have to use that…

Gathering up my determination, I walked out of my dorm.

* * *

The first thing I saw to my right was Chihiro and Celeste having a small conversation. Deciding not to bother them, I head in the opposite direction. Once I got out of the dorm section, I heard a friendly voice calling to me.

"Naegi? What a surprise!" The voice said. I looked back, and I saw none other than the Ultimate Pop Sensation.

"Oh!" I gasped in surprise. "Hey, Maizono!"

Her voiced then turned timid. "Say, Naegi…" She began. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Um…" I stammered. Trying to find the right words to say. "Sure! What is it?"

"I know this is out of the blue, but… Did you have a dream last night?" She asked suddenly.

This completely shocked me. Did she know about the nightmare I had?

"Y-Yeah…" I stammered. "Why do you ask?"

"Did it happen to involve Monokuma and some man with purple hair?"

"Yeah!" I gasped. "H-How did you know?"

What Maizono said next completely stunned me.

"The thing is… I had that dream, too!"

I gasped. Did we seriously both have the same dream?! It seemed like something straight out of fiction, but here we are talking about it.

"Wait, really?" I asked in confusion. "How is that even possible?"

"Well…" Began Maizono. "Call me crazy, but I think this weird place has something to do with it!"

"Are you saying that this school has some mystical powers or something?" I asked.

Maizono giggled. "No, I'm sure that there's a more reasonable explanation for this!"

"I'm pretty sure that's what Monokuma wants us to think…" I muttered under my breath.

"Well, I've got to go. Bye, Naegi!" Maizono said as she walked off. Leaving me all sorts of confused.

If this place can make people dream the same thing, that just raises more questions than answers. And just who was that purple-haired man in the dream? Did Monokuma really do something like that? My head began to hurt from all these unexplained mysteries.

"Hey, Naegi, you alright, man?"

I turned in shock of the voice. To my relief, it was just Leon.

"Y-Yeah…" I stammered. "Just got a lot on my mind is all."

"I know the feeling." He replied. "I just don't know how I'll be able to fulfill my lifelong dream at this point!"

Wow, talk about over-dramatic…

"Anyways, wanna hang for a bit?" He asked.

"Oh! Uh…" I stammered. "S-Sure!"

Leon breathed a sigh of relief. "Good!" He said. "I don't really wanna be alone, anyway…"

I spent some time with Leon. Whom of which I grew little closer today.

"I'm not even afraid anymore." He said suddenly. "Now I'm just pissed off… Why!? Why is this happening to me?! This isn't fair, man! I mean, am I wrong?"

"Oh, um…" I stuttered. Trying to get on his good side. "Yeah, it really isn't."

"Right!?" Agreed Leon. "Totally unfair. Ultra unfair! Just like having to shave my head before every baseball game!"

"Well, I mean… You chose to do that, right?" I asked.

He didn't take kindly to that. "C'mon, man!" He complained. "Are YOU against me now, too!? I didn't even wanna play! But the coach and all the teachers begged me, so I did it! And then they made me shave my head, just cuz it's "tradition". How's _that_ fair?!"

"You really hate baseball that much, huh…?" Was all I could ask.

"Damn straight I do!" He replied. "Who has fun running around on a dusty field for three hours?"

'But… For baseball players, the field is like sacred ground, isn't it?' I thought to myself as Leon rambled on.

"But it's so not cool!" He continued. "Spending all hat time at practice, getting covered in sweat and dirt… It's just baseball, right? It's easy! Who needs practice!?"

I think the gods picked the wrong person to bless with that much talent…

"Still…" Began Leon. "I gotta admit, baseball wasn't all bad. It did have a few things going for it…"

"Yeah, right?" I spoke up. Not thinking what I was saying. "Like the feeling of camaraderie between you and your teammates!"

"Nah, nothin' like that!" Shrugged Leon. "I can't stand being around a bunch of sweaty guys. So totally uncool!"

"Then… What did you like about it?" I asked. Completely giving up at this point.

"Well, I hate studying, right?" He began. "But I got into this super fancy school on a sports scholarship. As long as I kept playing, I never had to study! And besides that, it made me super popular with the ladies! Booya! Ya jealous? I git to third base in more ways than one, if you know what I'm sayin'! …Just kidding!"

I was completely silent. Did he really just make a joke about that subject?

"Heh-heh." Chuckled Leon. "I got plenty more where that came from! I'll tell ya more about it next time. Anyway, let's hang out again sometime! Talking to you helps keep my mind off this place…"

With a smile on his face and a spring in his step, Leon strolled away. I'm not really sure why, but I guess Leon likes hanging out with me…

I looked at a nearby wall clock. There's still plenty of time left in the day. I really don't feel like going back to my dorm, so maybe I'll take a look around some more…

* * *

I walked into the dining hall to find Togami and Ishimaru. The former looking uninterested in talking with anyone. So I spoke with the latter. "Hey, Ishimaru!" I greeted. "How's it going?"

"Well…" He began. "I can't say that our current circumstances are favorable, that's for certain. But still, it's times like this when baring your soul can lead to building a mutual trust! And the best way to bare your soul is to bare your skin! Let's bathe together and build that trust!"

"Uh, right…" I said. "Anyway, you wanna hang out?"

"Alright!" He agreed. "When the body is naked, so is the soul! So get to strippin' down!"

Ishimaru and I bared ourselves to each other in the bathhouse. Which I had no idea we had. And because of that, I think we grew a little closer today.

"Hey, Naegi!" Stated Ishimaru. "As long as we're talking, let's REALLY talk, whaddya say!?"

"Huh? Oh, sure, that's fine…" I hesitantly said.

"Excellent!" He happily exclaimed before going serious. "Then let's get down to brass tacks and find out where we stand on all the big issues! So, what should we discuss? Politics? The economy? International affairs!?"

"Wait, hold on." I halted him. "Instead of a big, serious discussion, can't we just have a normal conversation? That's the best way to learn about people, I think."

"What do you mean by a "normal conversation"?" He asked as if he'd never heard of one before.

"Umm…" I thought deeply. Trying to think of something talk about that wouldn't upset Ishimaru. "Well, for example, what do you like to do in your spare time?"

"Study, of course!" He proudly proclaimed. "I'm a student, aren't I? A student must be a studying professional! And of course my duties as the chairperson of the morals committee keep me quite busy, as well! It's my duty to foster an environment in which we can all focus on our studies!"

"Okay, but…" I stammered. "What else? Like when you're at home, or you just have some time to kill?"

"If I have time to kill, I study!" Explained Ishimaru.

"I… See…" Was all I could say. I was completely baffled. Does he really study all the time?

"Hahaha!" He laughed happily. "This is fun! Okay, my turn. Naegi! What do you like to do in your spare time?"

"Um, you know, just normal stuff. Watch TV, play video games…" I replied.

"Huh?" He asked confusedly. "And this helps you study… How?"

"N-No, it's not about studying." I explained. "It's just for fun, ya know?"

That seemed to tick him off a bit. "But doing things "just for fun" serves no purpose! There must be more to it… You wouldn't spend your valuable time doing something useless, would you?!"

He can insist all he wants, but in the end, he still is the Ultimate Moral Compass…

But… Maybe there _is_ a good reason. Like getting into something and talking to people about it. So maybe…

"You know how it's useful?" I asked him. "It helps give you something to talk about with other people!"

"Something to talk about…?" He repeated in confusion.

"Like when you see something awesome on TV, or some awesome game, and you want to share it with someone. You find other people who feel the same way, and that's how you make friends, see?"

"Wh…?" Ishimaru began stammering in a state of shock until he eventually screamed. "I once was blind, but now I see!"

"Wh-What the heck?!" I stammered. All shook up.

"That kind of thing has plagued me for years…" He began. "I've tried making friends, but whenever I would make conversation, it would die after a few minutes… And now… I've finally found the answer… I need to study more games! More TV shows!"

"N-No, you don't need to "study" them…" I managed to say, but Ishimaru kept going.

"Aah, I'm so ashamed of myself!" He sobbed. "If there was a hole somewhere around here, I'd totally go hide in it! I let it get to me, I wasted all that time… I never saw the blind spot in my studies! I'm a complete embarrassment! I'm not qualified to even be on the morals committee, let alone lead it!"

"I-I don't think it's really that big of a deal…" I muttered under my breath.

"Thank you, Professor Naegi!" He suddenly thanked me.

"Professor!?" I repeated in shock.

"You've taught me a most valuable lesson! You've earned my respect, and the title of professor!" He stated.

"Th-That's gonna make things super awkward…!"

"Hahaha!" He laughed. "There's no need to be modest, Professor! I can't wait for you next lesson! And until then, I will strive to learn as much as I can on my own! Well then, Professor, by your leave!"

Without waiting for a reply, Ishimaru ran off.

"Professor…"

Although, thinking about it, I didn't totally hate it.

"Professor Naegi Makoto… That has a nice ring to it!"

After we were done, I decided to head back to my room for a while…

* * *

 **Ding dong, bing bong!**

After that sound played, the monitor in my room turned on to reveal Monokuma once again.

"Mm, ahem, this is a school announcement." He said after clearing his throat. "It is now 10 PM. As such, it is officially nighttime. Soon the doors to the dining hall will be locked, and all entry at that point is strictly prohibited. Okay then… Sweet dreams, everyone! Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite…"

After it turned off, I had some time to collect my thoughts. The third day here had already come to an end. When will I- No, we gonna get out of here?

I laid on my bed and stared blankly at the ceiling. And before I knew it, I'd fallen into an uneasy sleep.


	16. Day 4 Part 1: The Second Meeting

**Ding dong, bing bong!**

After that annoyingly-repetitive sound played, the monitor in my room turned on to reveal the Hope's Peak emblem, and then Monokuma in that same monitor room.

"Good morning, everyone!" He greeted in almost the exact same tone as the other times. "It is now 7 AM, and nighttime is officially over! Time to rise and shine! Get ready to greet another beee-yutiful day!"

I woke up to the irritating sound of Monokuma's voice; I slowly pulled myself out of bed.

"Gh…" I groaned. "Another night of restless sleep. Day after day, I can feel the fatigue piling up…"

But as soon as the thought crossed my mind…

 **Ding dong!**

…The sound of the doorbell forced its way into my room.

As soon as I opened it, I saw a smiling Ishimaru. "A fantastic morning, isn't it?" He asked happily.

"I-Ishimaru?" I stuttered in confusion.

"Now then if you'll pardon the interruption…!"

Without waiting for a reply, Ishimaru barged into my room. Sill a little shocked, I managed to strike up a conversation.

"…What's up, Ishimaru?" I asked.

"No matter how intensely the stormy seas may batter me, I will not fall as long as my feet are firmly planted!" He stated. "…You agree, right?"

"U-Um, I'm not sure I understand…"

"And if you can't do it alone, just find someone to support you, and you can support them back!" He continued. "That's how you overcome any storm!"

There was a short moment of silence before Ishimaru spoke again. "I was thinking about it last night, and… I decided we all need to really come together. And that was when I realized that every morning from now on, after the morning announcement, everyone should have breakfast together! And now is the beginning of that fateful day! Please head to the dining hall at your earliest convenience! That's all for now! I have to go let everyone else know the good news!"

Ishimaru didn't even wait for a reply. He turned and left, before I could say a thing.

"Well…" I sighed to myself. "I guess I'd better head to the dining hell."

* * *

As I entered the dining hall, everyone was already there.

"Okay, looks like everyone's here." Said Ishimaru after taking a quick look around the room. "So then, let's begin our very first "breakfast meeting"!"

Everyone except for Fukawa and Togami sat around a long, white table affixed to the floor. Ishimaru spoke first. "Everyone, thank you for making time in your busy schedules to come together." He proclaimed.

"I didn't make time for shit. You dragged me here…" Leon complained under his breath.

"I know I already mentioned this earlier, but in order to get out of here, it essential that we all cooperate with each other." Ishimaru explained. "And the first step is this breakfast meeting, to allow us to become friends and build trust! So from now on, let's all meet here in the dining hall after the morning announcement! Now then, let's eat!"

Fukawa giggled shyly. "You w-want me to eat breakfast with other p-people?" She asked nervously. "I've never done that b-before. I'm not s-sure…"

"Yeah, it's been a while for me, too." Leon added.

"Well anyway…" Junko spoke up. "Did anyone happen to come up with any clues?"

Silence echoed throughout the dining hall.

"Seriously?" She asked skeptically. "Nothing at all? Anything, it can be about how to get out, or who's doing this, nobody has anything!?"

"…You are going to die." Celeste said chillingly.

"Huh…?" Gasped Junko in shock.

"If you can't stop yourself from showing weakness in front of others, you will die." Celeste hauntingly explained.

"Wh-What the hell?" Junko exclaimed. "Don't even freaking joke about that!"

"I am not joking." Celeste continued. "Adaptability is survivability. Did I not say so? So you'd better hurry up and adapt to your new life here."

Junko didn't like that at all. "Have you gone completely insane?" She asked furiously. "Adapt to my new life here? Do you have any idea what you're saying?"

"Yeah, sounds like the girl wants to live here." Added Mondo. "And hell, more power to her. But shit, no way in hell am I living here! I'm gettin' outta here, I don't give a shit!"

"Hmhm." Chuckled Celeste. "Sure, feel free."

"Okay, so… Nobody has any clues?" Asked Leon.

"One thing I can tell you is who's behind all this." Asahina spoke up. "Someone who's totally weird and messed up. Why else would we be trapped here in the first place?"

"Well, sure, it could be something like that." Said Leon. "But for right now, actual clues are…"

"U-Umm…" Chihiro spoke up with tears in her eyes.

"Huh? What's up?" He asked with a hint of concern in his voice.

"If you think in terms of people who are really abnormal or bizarre…" She said. "Do you think maybe the person responsible for all this could be a certain murderous fiend…?"

"A murderous fiend…" I repeated. "Chihiro, do you have some idea who might be behind all this?"

"Well… Maybe." She replied. "I mean, I can't really be certain, but…"

"Certainty is not a concern right now!" Exclaimed Ishimaru. "I'll allow whatever remark you may have!"

"O-Okay, well…" She began. "Have you guys heard of Genocide Jack?"

"You mean that serial killer that's been in the news and all over the Internet?" I asked in shock.

"The monstrous villain who's murdered scores of victims in brutally bizarre fashion…" Muttered Togami. "The word "Bloodlust" was left at each murder scene, written in the victim's own blood. Whoever it is, he's like a ghost. He strikes without warning, and disappears without a trace. And on the Internet, they started calling him Genocide Jack. That about covers it, I think."

"They say he's clamed over a thousand victims…" Worried Hagakure.

"That's just an urban legend though, right?" Asked Junko. "I mean even like, ten people would be totally insane."

I looked over at Fukawa. She was totally silent with a worried and scared expression on her face. Was she worried that one of us was Genocide Jack?

"Anyway, whoever Genocide Jack really is, he's obviously some kind of super crazy killer." Chihiro continued.

"And if he really is this "ultimate" psycho, I wouldn't be surprised if he put together something like this." Added Mondo.

"But like I said, I can't be certain." Said Chihiro. "I don't have any evidence or anything. It's just a thought…"

"But if they're the killer, isn't that like a killer of a problem for us!?" Asked Leon.

"It's okay!" Reassured Asahina. "Everything's absolutely, positively, one hundred percent without a doubt gonna be okay! Cuz help's gonna be here soon, I'm sure of it!"

"Huh…?" Gasped Fukawa. "H-Help?"

"We've been stuck in here a few days already, right?" Asked Asahina to no one in particular. "Nobody's been able to contact us, so I'm sure they're getting worried. I bet they called the police already!"

Just then, we all heard a sadistic laughter coming from somewhere, and then Monokuma popped out from underneath the table.

"The police?" He asked in disbelief. "You're putting your faith in the police?!"

"What are you doing here!?" Exclaimed Sakura.

"You guys, seriously…" He began." "DO you understand what role the police exist to fill? All their good at is being a foil, playing against a villain or anti-hero organization. The bad guys come along and destroy them, and that shows how badass they really are. Are you sure you wanna rely on such unreliable group of losers? I mean come on! If you really, REALLY wanna get out of here, all you gotta do is kill!"

"Hahahaha!" Hagakure suddenly laughed.

"Why the hell are you laughing?" Asked Leon in shock.

"I'm just impressed at the total commitment to this whole act." He replied.

"…You're still going on about that?" Asked an unamused Junko.

"So, mister serial killer psycho freak bastard… What the hell do you want!?" He asked aggressively.

"Mr. Serialkillerpsychofreakbastard, huh? That's a pretty long name!" Mused Monokuma. "German, maybe?"

"We know who you really are!" Exclaimed Mondo.

"Maybe if I ignore him, he'll just go away…" Monokuma said to himself.

"Hey!" Yelled Mondo furiously. "Don't ignore me, asshole!"

"Okay, okay, let's get back to business." He began. "Your life here has already begun and a couple days have gone by, and nobody's killing anybody! I thought all you kids were lazy and selfish, and here you are working together. But I'm totally board!"

"There's nothing you can say that'll make us start killing each other…" I said. Trying to left everyone's spirits.

"Wait, I think- yes!" He suddenly exclaimed. "Ding ding ding! I figured it out! All the mystery ingredients are here, right people, right place. So why hasn't anyone killed anyone yet? That's what I couldn't understand. But I just realized there was one very important piece missing!"

"Wh-What are you…?"

"If you wanna know, I'll tell ya! It's motive!" He laughed. "Upupu! It's so simple! I just have to give everyone a motive!"


	17. Day 4 Part 2: The Motive Tapes

"Motive? What the fuck are you talking about!?" Exclaimed Mondo.

"Oh, by the way!" Said Monokuma. "There's something I wanna show you guys!"

"Stop changing the goddamn subject!" Yelled Mondo in frustration.

"I have a little video I'd like you all to see." He continued. "Oh, but don't worry. It's not some pervy "adult" video or anything. Seriously, it's nothing like that! It's a special video for each of you showing what's going on outside the school."

"Outside the school…?" I muttered. "What are you talking about?"

"Heh-heh!" He chuckled. "Ooh, Master's so impatient today! Why don't you just watch it and find out? Here in the school, there's a specific place you can go that has everything uou need to watch the video."

"Good, then we can go watch the video right now." Said Kirigiri. "But before we do that, I'd like to know… What are you? Why would you do something like this? What do you want from us?"

"What do I want from you…?" Monokuma repeated as he cocked his head in confusion. Well, if you must know…"

What he said next sent a chill down our spines.

"Despair. That's all. If you want to know more than that, you'll have to figure it out for yourselves. Do whatever you need to uncover the mystery hidden within this school. I won't try and stop you. Cuz to be honest, it's entertaining as heck watching you guys search so desperately for answers! So I guess I want amusement from you, too."

After his speech he went back under the table and disappeared.

"He's gone…" Said Maizono is disbelief. "And once again, he left before we could find out anything useful."

"Really?" Questioned Kirigiri. "I think we learned something VERY useful. He has no intention of standing in the way of our pursuit of the truth. Interesting…"

"Perhaps, but what about the video he mentioned?" Asked Sakura. "I'm very curious to see what's on it."

"Same here! Okay, so…!" Mondo started glancing around the dining hall. But when his gaze landed on me, he stopped. "Hey, Naegi! Check this out for is, would ya?"

"Huh? Why me!?" I asked.

"Cuz you're closest to the door! That's the rule, right?"

"R-Rule…?"

"Hey, hey…" He began repeating that word until he eventually screamed it at the top of his lungs. "HEEEEEY! You see how passionately I'm begging you!? What's the big deal? Just check it out real quick!"

His anger put me into a state of shock into which I couldn't speak. But I did say something so I wouldn't get punched again. "O-Okay… I guess I'll get going then."

"Awesome, thanks!" He said while giving me a thumbs-up. "I owe ya one!"

"…If Naegi's going, I'm going with him." Maizono said suddenly. "It's not safe to walk around this place alone."

"Yeah, sure thing." Mondo agreed. "Then we're counting on the both of ya! If anything happens, just yell and I'll come runnin'!"

* * *

"I can't decide if Mondo is totally dependable or completely terrible…" Said Maizono as we walked out of the dining hall.

"Yeah, I'd say he's kind of both." I replied. He's not exactly a bad person, but I definitely can't say he's a good person, either.

"So then, where's this "specific place" Monokuma mentioned?" She asked. "It must be somewhere you can watch DVDs, but…"

If it's a place set up to watch DVDs, then it must be the A/V room I saw on my way to the entrance when I first got here.

"The A/V room?" Maizono asked suddenly. "Okay, let's head there!"

"Huh?" I asked as I cocked my head in confusion. "Don't tell me. Intuition, right?"

"No, I really AM psychic." She said seriously before giggling again. "Kidding, kidding! You were right!"

She's really curious-quenching, she is. Anyway, we headed down to the A/V room. Unaware of what we were all about to witness…

* * *

When we entered the room, there were loads of high-end DVD players scattered about. Each one baring a roll-out chair in front of them. In front of them all was a large monitor that was currently blank at the moment.

On top of one of the DVD players was a cardboard box with Monokuma's face on the front. Curiously, I opened it up. Inside it was…

"…A bunch of DVDs." Said Maizono. "And each one has a label on it with someone's name."

"That must be the "video for each of us" he mentioned." I assumed.

"I'd better go tell everyone!" Maizono then ran off. I didn't follow after her. I just stood right there where I was. The DVDs in front of me had robbed me of all awareness. I was rooted in place…

Without anything better to do, I rummaged through the box. Fukawa, Chihiro, Sakura… Yep, all of us were in here. I then thought.

"Maybe I'll watch mine really quick before everyone else gets here." I said to myself.

I sorted through the DVDs and found the one with my name on it. Then I slid it into the expensive-looking player. Next to each DVD player were a set of headphones. I put mine on, sat down, and stared intensely at the darkened screen. And then…

I yelled out loud without realizing it, and my heart started racing. Because what I saw on that monitor…

It was my family.

My mom, my dad, and my sister Komaru were all sitting at the couch in our living room. They seemed happy as if I was just going to school and not whatever personalized hell this was.

"You getting picked to attend Hope's Peak Academy is like a dream come true." My mother said. "Make sure you do your best!"

"I'm so proud of you, son." My father said next. "But remember; don't push yourself too hard!"

"Are you really watching this, Naegi?" Komaru said excitedly. "Good luck, okay?"

If it had ended there, that would've been fine. A message of love and support. After leaving my family behind to attend Hope's Peak, it would have given me hope, given me strength. If this was a normal school, I would've been happy, if a little embarrassed. With my family's support to rely on, I would've been motivated to do even better.

But here, now, it was totally different.

I _wasn't_ living an ordinary school life, so I had a pretty strong feeling that the video wasn't going to end there.

I hated having that feeling, but it turned out I was absolutely right.

The next instant, the screen turned to green static, and when it went back, I was mortified. The couch was torn up badly, stuffing was everywhere, the window behind the couch had a huge hole in it, and my family was nowhere to be seen.

This time, I couldn't even make a sound. My voice just… Died. Where'd everyone go…? It looks like warzone or something…

As if in reply, an all-too-familiar voice came floating through the speakers.

"Naegi Makoto, accepted into Hope's Peak Academy. And his family, who supported such a lucky boy… But it seems like something's happened to this family's well-being! Oh bot, this is bad! What could have happened to this family's well-being!?"

After Monokuma finished speaking, the text "Look for the answer after graduation!" was seen. Then the video stopped playing and the DVD ejected.

"Wh-What is this?" I panicked. "What happened to everyone?!"

I started trembling. I could feel the fear and anger building up inside me, like hot magma.

"GOD DAMNIT!" I yelled as I slammed my fist against the desk over and over again. A single thought was racing through my mind. What else? How could I think about anything else?

"I have to get out of here." I said to myself. Still shook up. "I have to get out, right now! I need to make sure everyone's safe!"


	18. Day 4 Part 3: Comforting Maizono

"Naegi?" A concerned voice asked. "What happened?"

The voice turned out to be Maizono. I then noticed everyone else standing around the entrance to the A/V room. They stared at me, faces full of confusion.

"Wh-What's going on?" Asahina asked in concern. Without a word, I pointed to the cardboard box.

"Is that what Monokuma was talking about?" Asked Leon.

"What's on them?" Ishimaru asked as he approached the box. Following suit, everyone else gathered around the box, and each of them grabbed the DVD with their name on it. One by one, they each rushed to a monitor.

It didn't take long for them to react.

"What the fuck…?" Mondo muttered in shock.

"Th-This can't be real, right? It has to be fake, right!?" Panicked Asahina.

"Yeah, no way it's real." Leon said trying to comfort himself.

"I can't t-take it anymore…" Fukawa worried before screaming. "I c-can't take this anymore! Let me out of h-here!"

As soon as I saw their reactions, I know… They'd all seen something like what I'd seen. Nobody even bothered trying to hide their fear and confusion.

Except for _her_. Even now, she was totally calm.

"I see…" Said Kirigiri. "So this is what he meant by motive. He wants to fuel our desire to leave so that we're more likely to start killing each other."

"It is the classic "prisoner's dilemma"." Stated Celeste.

"…Huh?" Questioned Yamada.

"Let me use an example." She began. "Imagine two countries are on the brink of war. But both countries want peace, and each commits to scaling back their forces as a sign of good faith. But there's a chance that one country may betray the other, so each country fears lowering their guard. The result is that neither scales back their forces, and they both end up betraying each other. In other words, the fear of invisible treachery becomes the greatest enemy of stability."

"That kinda sounds l-like us right now…" Worried Fukawa. "Everyone says they'll work together, but in our hearts we're all afraid that someone might betray us…"

"Don't put those awful thoughts in our head!" Exclaimed Ishimaru. "That's exactly what they _want_ us to do!"

"You can say that, but maybe you're thinking that once everyone drops their guard, you can just…" Began Leon. Ishimaru cut him off.

"What?!" He gasped.

"This is exactly what Monokuma, or whoever's behind this, wants." Explained Sakura. "They _want_ us to fight. Don't you see?"

"Yeah, you're right." Agreed Chihiro. "We all need to clam down…"

"Okay, then." Junko spoke up. "Maybe we should start by all just… Talking. Maybe if we all just talk about what we saw, that'll help get everything out of our system. Besides, I think we're all super curious, right?"

I wonder what was in everyone's videos… I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious. I thought Maizono would be a good place to start, since she's my assistant after all.

"Hey, Maizono…" I said as I turned to her. She was completely silent and looked both scared and worried at the same time. The screen showed the same thing that was on mine; text that said ' Look for the answer after graduation!'. I figured whatever she saw on there made her this way.

I spoke again. "What was in your video, Maizono?"

Silence.

"What's wr-wrong?" Fukawa asked impatiently. "Just hurry up and t-tell us…"

Maizono began shaking. "Maizono?" I asked her calmly. Gently placing a hand on her shoulder.

"…Stop it!" She suddenly yelled as she pushed my hand away ran out of the room.

"Maizono!?" Exclaimed Asahina. I began to run towards the door, but Togami's voice stopped me.

"Let her go." He said.

"I-I can't do that!" I shouted. "I have to go make sure she's okay!"

"I h-hate romantic comedies like this." Fukawa stammered. "I don't care what happens to her, personally…"

"That's because you're totally thoughtless!" Snapped Junko.

"I'm… Really worried." Said Asahina.

"Then why don't you go do whatever you think you have to?" Asked Celeste. "We all don't all have to stick around together, right? Speaking of which, I have my own things to take care of. Goodbye."

Celeste then left the room, after some babble that I couldn't keep up with, everyone went their separate ways. But I don't have time to worry about that right now. I have to go find Maizono!

* * *

I ran out into the hall and began searching all around the school. The gymnasium, the bathrooms, even the dormitories. I eventually found her in one corner of an empty classroom.

She was sitting in a chair, hands on her knees, staring absently at the floor. She looked like maybe she was upset, or angry. Or, no…

…She didn't have any expression at all.

There was nothing on her face that you could call emotion. It was as if her original mask had been stripped away.

I eventually spoke up to gain her attention. "M-Maizono? Are you okay?"

"Yeah…" She said meekly. "I'm fine."

She then began panicking. "Actually, no… How could I possibly be fine? What did we do to end up like this…? Why are they doing such terrible things to us…? I want out! Let me out of here right now!"

"Maizono! Calm down!" I yelled. As she thrashed around, I grabbed her by the shoulders and began talking calmly to her. "I understand. I know how you feel right now. When I think of what might have happened to my family, I think of escaping, too. But now, more than ever, we need to stay calm! This is exactly what they want. They _want_ us to out composure and stop thinking rationally. Think bout it; those videos have to be fake! Because if those things really happened, people out there would be in an uproar. Out families, the police, everyone! Right?"

Maizono was completely silent.

"So, let's just calm down, okay?" I asked her. "Otherwise, we've already lost."

I knew I was trying to convince myself just as much as her. I kept repeating those words to myself, to clear away the images that had been burned into my brain.

Be clam, okay?

Just be calm…

"As long as we work together, I'm sure we can find some way out of here." I continued. "And help might even come before that."

"But… What if there _isn't_ a way out?" Worried Maizono. "What if help never comes?"

"I-If that happens…" I began. Trying to find the right words to say.

But when I found them, I instantly regretted it.

"…Then I'll get you of here myself! No matter what it takes!"

When I said that, I paused… I had no idea what came over me.


	19. Day 4 Part 4: Breaking Down

Suddenly, Maizono hugged me and planted her face in my chest. Crying as she did so.

"Maizono…?" I gasped.

"Please… Help me…" She sobbed. Her voice was small and shaky. "Why…? Why is this happening to me? To kill, or be killed… I just can't take this anymore…!"

"Maizono…"

Finally, she raised her face up from my chest and looked at me with those big, wet eyes of hers.

"Can I…" She began. "Can I believe what you said?"

"Huh?"

"That you'll help me get out?" She continued. "No matter what it takes…?"

"A-Absolutely!" I said. If this was the way to cheer her up, then I'll see it to the end.

"Naegi…" She whimpered. "You're the only one I can trust. So please, no matter what happens, please always be there for me. I need you on my side…"

That last part completely shocked me. I didn't know anyone else in this so-called "School", so I guess this was my only option.

"O-Of course I'll be there for you!" I assured her. "No matter what, I'm always on your side. I mean, you _are_ my assistant, after all."

Maizono was silent before she spoke again. "Thank you, Naegi." She said softly. "Hearing you say that, I feel like I can keep going. I can get through this… As long as you're here with me. Like you said, I'm you're assistant."

The smile I'd come to know so well returned to her face. It felt a little forced, but still, it was a huge improvement over how she was before. But just as things were calming down, an all-too-familiar foe appeared from the desk at the front of the classroom.

"It's standing up!" Said Monokuma. Maizono yelped in terror. "Naegi! It's standing up!"

"Wh-What's standing up?!" I yelled. Still in shock that he knew we were here.

"Do you even have to ask?" He began. "Your flagpole! Get the hell out of here! No! No! I wanna join in!"

"Damnit!" I cursed. "Well, if you won't leave, then tell us what the hell is up with those videos!"

Monokuma didn't pay attention as he was in his own little world. "Ahh…" He moaned. "It's about to come out… It's gonna come out! My pristine, pure white…"

He then laughed. "Stuffing!" He exclaimed. "My honest, innocent stuffing is about to come gushing out!"

I didn't know what came over me, but something inside me just… Snapped. I balled up my fist, took aim, and swung as hard as a could. I had never put so much energy into a single motion in my life. I leaned back, channeling all my power, and let go with everything I had…!

I missed.

"Guwah!" I yelled as my body was flung into the desk. I could hear Monokuma laughing hysterically.

"Naegi!" Gasped Maizono. "A-Are you okay!?"

"If I hadn't avoided your punch, you would have just violated school regulations." Said Monokuma after laughing. "But boy are you slow slow slow slow slow SLOW! I could've downed a thousand-dollar full-course dinner in the time it took you to finish your swing! Your speed, agility, alertness, passion, boldness, sense of despair, antagonization, it's all lacking!"

After his speech, he darted out into the hallway. Leaving us both flabbergasted.

"What the heck was that just now…?" Questioned Maizono.

"He just wanted to mess with us…" I assumed as I slowly stood back up.

"Well, for now, you wanna just head back?" She asked.

"Yeah…" I replied.

Monokuma had come along and swiftly destroyed the good mood we just created. Maizono and I headed back to our separate dorms.

* * *

"You should get some rest, Maizono." I told her as we walked back to the dorms. "You still look pretty shaken."

"I'm sorry for making you worry about me…" She said as she tilted her head down in shame. "But you're right. I'm going to lay down for a bit."

With a nod and a simple bow, she disappeared into her room. Now on my own, I headed off to tell everyone that Maizono was okay. Once that was done, I decided to go back to my room. It was hard to think after watching that deranged video. I needed some rest of my own.

* * *

"Jeez…" I sighed to myself. Seriously, what's going on here? There's just so many problems. I can't even decide what the biggest problem is…

That we're trapped here? That what I saw in that video might be real? Monokuma? What the mastermind has in store for us? Or…

Are _we_ our biggest problem?

I want to get out of here, but I could _never_ kill someone… Do all the others feel the same? Yeah, that's definitely the biggest problem right now.

I laid down on my bed and closed my eyes. Hoping that everything was false and that we would all escape unharmed.

But as soon as I drifted off…

 **Ding dong!**

I awoke with a jump and immediately darted my eyes to the clock. It was almost 10 o'clock.

"Nighttime's about to start, so how come someone's here?" I asked myself. I slowly made my way to the door and opened it. Hoping that Monokuma wasn't there. Luckily it was just Maizono.

"I'm really sorry to come by so late…" She said.

"Maizono? What are you doing out so late?" I asked. That's when I noticed her body was trembling. "I-Is everything okay…?"

"Sorry to bother you, but…" She began. "Something really weird just happened."

"Something… Weird?" I repeated. She nodded.

"Just a little while ago, I was laying down in my room, and all of a sudden, my door started shaking." She explained. Her voice sounded like all the air had been squeezed out of her lungs. Just hearing her talk made me tense up. "It was like someone was trying to force the door open. My door was locked, so they couldn't get in, of course. But they started shaking the door harder and harder. I was so scared, I couldn't even move."

"S-So what happened!?" I asked in shock.

"After a while, it just… Stopped." Maizono continued. "I let some time go by, then I got up and opened the door to check outside… But there was nobody there."

"Someone tried to force their way into your room…?" I asked as I patted her back in comfort. "But who would do something like that?"

"It's not like I'm suspicious of anyone here, but still… It makes me nervous." She trembled. "What if something like that happened in the middle of the night? What would I do then…?"

"Y-You don't have to worry about that, right?" I asked her. "I mean, we can't go outside during nighttime."

"But that's just a promise we made, right?" She asked back. "If someone decided to break that promise…"

"Th-Then…" I stammered before an idea finally hit me. "Why don't you stay in my room tonight? Would that make you feel better?"

"What?" She gasped. "What do you mean by that, Naegi?"

"All it said in the school regulations was that we had to sleep in "the dorm rooms", right?" I explained. "It didn't specify _which_ room each person had to sleep in. So…"

"B-But…" Stammered Maizono. "Two people sharing one room is… You know…"

"…Ah!" I gasped. "Oh jeez, I'm sorry! I didn't even think about that! Honestly, that didn't even cross my mind!"

"No, I know, me either." She continued. "It's not that I mind the idea, but…"

Her voice trailed off before she spoke again. "Um, if you don't mind, could we maybe switch rooms? Just for tonight?"

"Switch rooms…?" I repeated. Maizono nodded. "I-If it'll help put your mind at ease, then it's totally fine with me. But… I don't mind you staying in my room, but are you sure you're okay with me staying in yours? That doesn't like… Concern you?"

"It's fine." She giggled. "I trust you…"

"In that case then…" Was all I could get out before I was interrupted by that alarming sound.

 **Ding dong, bing bong!**

After that, the monitor turned on and Monokuma was seen in the same monitor room as all the other announcements.

"Mm, ahem, this is a school announcement." He said after clearing his throat. "It is now 10 PM. As such, it is officially nighttime. Soon the doors to the dining hall will be locked, and all entry at that point is strictly prohibited. Okay then… Sweet dreams, everyone! Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite…"

After it turned off, Maizono spoke up. "Oh man, it's already nighttime…"

"Okay, so it's settled. I'll head to your room right now." I said. Oh, if we're gonna trade rooms, we'd better trade keys too.

"Ah, that's right." Maizono said suddenly. "We'll have to trade keys."

"A-Again!?" I stammered. Already knowing what was coming.

"Like I said, I'm psychic." She said seriously. This time, she didn't giggle and say she was kidding.

"…Huh?" I asked in confusion. "Hey, aren't you gonna say you were just kidding?"

"What if I _wasn't_ just kidding…?" She asked after giggling. Something resembling a smile making its way to her face. And thank goodness, too. It looks like she's already started to get back to normal.

"Okay, we'd better trade keys, then." I said as I pulled out my key.

"Yup, let's do it." Said Maizono as she did the same thing.

We exchanged keys, but when I looked back up at her again, there was another worried expression there.

"Naegi… Please be careful." She warned. "If someone comes to the door, don't open it no matter what."

"I won't." I assured her. "The same goes for you, Maizono. No matter who it is, don't open your door for anyone."

"Even if I'm sure it's you, I absolutely won't open it." She said. "Otherwise, what's the point of switching?"

"Oh, by the way…" I began as I suddenly remembered something. "Just so you know, my bathroom door tends to get stuck, and there's a little trick to opening it. You have to turn the knob, then lift up on the door while you pull it out. Just do that and the door should open no problem."

"Okay, but the showers don't work during nighttime anyway, right?" She asked.

"Oh, that's right. I totally forgot…"

"Nut I guess I might use it when I get up in the morning." She reassured me. "So thank you."

"Okay, well, I'd better get going." I said as I made my way out of the room. "See you tomorrow, Maizono."

"Oh, and about what I said before…" She began. "When I said I was psychic, it really was a joke. Honestly, I'm just very perceptive."

"Yeah, I know." I sighed. How on Earth does she do it?

"Good night, then." She said as she gave me one last parting smile. "See you in the morning."

After our conversation, I headed off to "my" room.

* * *

I looked around as soon as I got out into the hall. Everyone else's doors were closed and there was no sign of life.

"Good. There's nobody here…" I said to myself after breathing a sigh of relief.

Making sure nobody was around to spot me, I rushed into Maizono's room.

* * *

Maizono's room really didn't look any different than mine. The only differences were that the bed's sheets, the pillow, and the trashcan were all pink.

I couldn't help but notice that there was something in the trash can other than a crumpled-up piece of paper that was supposedly the note like in my room. When I peeked inside, however, there was, well, there wasn't nay doubt about it.

It was the DVD with her name on it that we'd found in the A/V room. I assumed that whatever was on there was what made her panic today. I thought that it was best to ask her the next time she brings it up.

I then yawned. It had been a long day. What with those DVDs and all. As I lowered myself onto Maizono's bed, a pleasant fragrance enveloped me. It was Maizono's scent. Maybe it'll bring me some sweet dreams for once.

Feeling a bit better than before, I fell asleep…

* * *

 **A/N: Wow! Over 2000 words and counting! This has to be my longest chapter that I've made for this story yet! I hope you all are enjoying it! I'll see you all in the next chapter!**

 **Then the real mystery begins…**


	20. Day 5 Part 1: The First Murder

**A/N: Hey, all! Short chapter today, but I promise it's important! Just a warning: This is one of the many reasons as to why this story is rated M.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Ding dong, bing bong!**

After that annoying sound played, I looked over towards the monitor to see Monokuma in that same monitor room.

"Good morning, everyone!" He greeted. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was like a recording. "It is now 7 AM, and nighttime is officially over! Time to rise and shine! Get ready to greet another beee-yutiful day!"

After the announcement, I sat up, still half asleep, and rubbed my eyes. Slowly, I pulled myself out of bed. I was still in Maizono's room, and if I remember correctly, I didn't hear anything suspicious last night.

"Oh!" I gasped. Remembering something very important "I just remembered, I promised to eat breakfast with everyone else."

I left Maizono's room and made my way toward the dining hall.

* * *

A few people had already gathered at the dining hall by the time I got there. There was Asahina, Chihiro, Sakura, and Ishimaru.

"Hello Naegi, and good morning!" Ishimaru cheerfully greeted. "Can you believe it? I was the very first one here this morning!"

"Ehehe…" Chuckled Chihiro. "Good morning."

"Mornin'!" Greeted Asahina.

"I suppose I'm early…" Mused Sakura.

I figured everyone who had arrived on time could be considered model high schoolers, and the ones who showed up a little late…

My train of thought broke away when I heard the doors opening and Yamada, Junko, and Mondo walked in.

"Yo." Greeted an unamused Mondo.

"Sorry I'm late!" Junko apologized. "My make-up would NOT cooperate this morning!"

"My apologies, ladies and gentlemen." Said Yamada. "My morning, ah, duty took a little longer than usual…"

After a while, the remainder of the students came pouring in.

"…I suppose I'm late." Mused Kirigiri.

"Good morning, everyone." Greeted Celeste.

"My bad, guys!" Apologized Leon. "Slept right through my alarm!"

"Wh-What?" Fukawa stammered. "Is it s-so awful to be l-late?"

"I didn't oversleep, just so you know." Said Hagakure. "Nope, got lost! I blame the Bermuda Triangle…"

I looked around the room. Everyone had arrived. At least, that's how it was supposed to go…

"Wait, aren't we still missing some people?" Asked Ishimaru to no one in particular.

"Yeah, Maizono and Togami aren't here yet." Shrugged Asahina.

I don't know about Togami, but I would assume that Maizono would be one of the first ones here. So for her to be late…

"What's going on here? Did something happen?" Asked Togami as he stepped through the doors.

"Hey man! Have you seen Maizono?" Asked Mondo.

"Why would I have?" Togami asked back. "I just came straight from my room to here."

"Did she forget about our breakfast promise…?" Worried Yamada.

Kirigiri then spoke up. Gaining everyone's attention. "I got the sense she always has her stuff together…"

Listening to everyone talk like that, a small, dark speck of unease rose up inside of me. And that speck started to grow quickly…

"I-I need to go…" I said softly, then loudly panicking. "I have to check on her!"

The words had barely left my lips before I flew out into the hall.

* * *

Where I headed first was my room, where I'd let Maizono stay for a singular night. Where she was supposed to be safe…

But over the course of that one night, the room had been completely transformed.

The bed was a mess, slash marks and gouges were on the walls and floor, the table and trash can were knocked over, the replica sword was out of its sheath and was laid out on the floor, and Maizono was nowhere to be found.

"Wh-What the hell!?" I gasped as I looked over the messy room. It was almost as if a fight was taken place.

I then noticed that the bathroom door was wide open. I figured this is where Maizono was if she was hiding. But if she _was_ hiding, why was it open? I opened the door some more and peeked inside.

"M-Maizono?" I called out before looking at what was inside.

It took me a second to realize that I was screaming. What I saw dug its way through my eyes and buried itself in my brain.

There, lying down in the shower with blood everywhere and a knife plunged into her stomach…

Was Maizono.

And then…

…Everything went black.

* * *

When I opened my eyes, I found myself staring at a huge ceiling. It was a ceiling I remembered seeing before. And when I sat up, I saw someone looking at me. Again, it was someone I'd seen before.

It was Kirigiri.

After she helped me up, Asahina spoke. "Ah! You're awake! Finally! Are you okay?"

"Now's no time for sleeping." Grunted Mondo. "Get your ass up!"

"Huh…?" Was all I could say.

"You were unconscious, dude." Explained Hagakure. "I had to carry you back here."

"It's no surprise, considering what happened." Said Sakura.

"What… Happened?" I then remembered that image of Maizono's corpse in my shower. "Gh-! Grraaah!"

"H-Hey, are you okay?" Asked a concerned Asahina.

"So it wasn't a dream?" I asked. "What I saw… It was real…?!"

Togami then spoke up. And what he said haunted right then and there.

"That's right. It really did happen. Maizono Sayaka is dead."

A deep, dark despair worked its way through my body, and then exploded out of me. I shot up and took off running, but Togami's voice stopped me.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" He asked.

"I have to see for myself!" I panicked. "I have to see if Maizono is…"

"You can check once, twice, a thousand times. Maizono is completely and irrevocably dead."

"No!" I exclaimed. "I have to see for myself!"

I took off running again, but Mondo caught up with me and grabbed my arm. "Listen to us, man! Whaddya think's gonna happen if you go out there?" He yelled.

"Well, what good is it gonna do just sitting around here!?" I yelled back. "I mean, why are we all hanging out in the gym at a time like this?! Our friend, Maizono. She's… She's dead!"

Dead…

When I said that, it finally hit me. I realized she really was gone and there was nothing I could do about it…


	21. Day 5 Part 2: Junko's Demise

"None of us want to be here right now, either." Explained Kirigiri.

"Then… Why?" I asked.

"Sh-Shouldn't it be obvious?" Stammered Fukawa nervously. "Monok-kuma… He told us all to c-come here…"

"Well, hold on!" Ishimaru spoke up. "Don't talk like that. We all protested it. I mean, we all remember the terrible price Maizono had to pay… B-But…!"

"I'm the one who convinced them to come." Finished Kirigiri. "Right now, we need to do whatever he says. We're his prisoners, right? It's not a good idea to defy him without reason. We don't need to make any ore sacrifices than we already have…"

"Why should we listen to anything he has t say?" I asked. Everyone just gave me a confused look. "It's obvious _he's_ the one who killed Maizono!"

After I said that, Monokuma appeared on top of the stage in front of everyone.

"I would never do that!" He said. "If you can't believe anything, you can't believe that!"

"He's here again…" Groaned Leon.

"Unless someone violates a school regulation, I absolutely will not interfere." He explained. "I can promise you, I won't do anything that goes against the purpose of your school life here. I'm famous at safari parks throughout the world for following the "Bear-Times-One" rule!"

"Then… Who did it?" Asked Chihiro. Simultaneously tearing up. "Who killed her?"

"You already know the answer!" Monokuma replied. "The one who killed her… Is one of you!"

Nobody had a reply for that. One of us… Killed Maizono?

'Don't be stupid.' I thought to myself. 'That's…'

Monokuma noticed the expressions on our faces. "Hmm? What's the matter?" He began. "You guys all look like you're about to see a dove get shot up with a Gatling gun! Don't you remember what I told you when this all began? One of you decided to kill Maizono so that you could graduate! Someone's just following the rules. There's nothing wrong with that!"

"Y-You're lying… Right?" Asked a nervous Yamada.

"Of course, he's lying!" I reassured not only him, but everyone else as well. "I'm telling you, he killed her!"

"Nope, sorry." Said Monokuma. "One of you is now a bona fide killer. If they wanted to, the one who did it could testify to that little fact."

"What…?" I gasped. Without thinking, I looked around at everyone. They all had that some look on their faces… Everyone looked at each other with a combination of fear suspicion, and confusion.

"A-Are you serious?" Asked Chihiro nervously.

"Someone… Someone killed someone!" Exclaimed Ishimaru.

"It is amazing what some people are capable of." Mused Celeste.

"Hey, hold on!" Grunted Mondo. "Don't just assume he's telling the truth!"

"That's enough." Togami spoke up. "Before we do anything else, I'd like to confirm something with the stuffed animal here. If one of us really did kill her, that person gets to graduate from the school, right?"

"…Huh?" Was all Monokuma said.

"Don't play dumb!" He said in frustration. "That's what you said, isn't it!? If you kill someone, you get to leave!"

"Upupu…" He laughed. His laughter slowly grew into a fierce and evil howl.

"Why are you laughing?!" Asked Leon in anger.

"Upupu… It's cuz you're just so naive!" He laughed. "You think it's really that easy? You can just kill someone and just waltz on outta here? You're super naive! Devilishly naive! HELLISHLY NAÏVE! No no no, the _real_ thing has just begun."

"The… Real thing?" I asked.

"Are you ready?" He continued. "Allow me to explain the second of the rule regarding graduation! Just like I explained before, you must kill someone if you want to leave. However, even if you do that, there's still one more part to the agreement you have to uphold, remember?"

"You are referring to the rule number six of the school regulations…" Said Celeste. "If you are the "blackened" that committed the murder, you can't be found out by the other students. That is what you are talking about, is it not?"

"Bingo!" Monokuma replied with a nod. "It's not easy to just kill someone. You have to actually get away with it! Which naturally means you need a system in place to assess whether or not it's been gotten away with! So, a certain amount of time after a murder has taken place, a class trial will begin!"

Class… Trial?

As if he read my mind, he answered my question. "Yup! It'll begin a few hours after the murder!" He explained. "Everyone will gather together, including the blackened who committed the murder. And they and the spotless students will all engage in one big debate showdown! During the trial, you'll have to present your arguments about who you think the blackened is. And once everything comes to an end, the outcome will be decided by popular vote! If the answer you've arrived at is correct, only the one who disturbed your peace will be punished. The rest may continue their communal life. However, if you choose poorly, then the way who got away with murder will survive, and the rest of you will receive your punishment. Which, of course, means your school life will come to an end! As far as class trial rules go… That's all there is to it!"

"So, um…" Began Yamada. "What exactly is this "punishment" you keep talking about…?"

"Oh! Well, to put it simply…"

None of us were ready for what the quote, end-quote "punishment" was…

"It's execution!" Monokuma said chillingly.

"E-Execution?!" Exclaimed Yamada.

"And by execution, you mean…" Began Chihiro. Monokuma cut her off.

"Execution is… Execution." He bellowed. "Ex-e-cution! Electric chair, bzzt bzzt! Poison gas, cough cough! Torn apart like a paper plane in a hurricane!"

"S-So, to make sure I understand…" Trembled Ishimaru. "If we get the culprit right, then only they die. But if we get it wrong, all the rest of us get… Executed?!"

"What a smart little chimpanzee you are!" Said Monokuma. "Look at you, implying you didn't do it without actually saying it! So it's basically what the outside world calls a "lay judge" system, or an inquisition type thing! Which means that you'll be deciding who you think the killer is. But judge carefully, because all your lives are on the line! Okay, let me just add the rule I just described to your handbook. Make sure to keep it in mind!"

Just as Monokuma was about to disappear again, Junko spoke up. "W-Wait, hold on a second!" She angrily exclaimed. "You're freaking insane, you know that!?"

"Hmm?" Questioned Monokuma as he cocked his head in confusion.

"A class trial? What the hell is that?!" She continued. "I don't want anything to do with it!"

"Why not?" He asked.

"Whaddya mean why not!? Why do I have to waste my time trying to figure out who murdered someone!?"

Monokuma didn't take kindly to that. "What?!" He exclaimed. "Are you saying that you're not gonna participate in the trial!? Only punishment awaits such blasphemy!"

"What? Punishment!?" Asked Junko nervously.

"I might… I dunno, throw you in a deep, dark, scary prison or something!"

"Shut the hell up!" Snapped Junko. "Say whatever you want, I'm not gonna be part of this!"

"Don't be so selfish!" Monokuma snapped back.

" _You're_ the one being selfish! Kill whoever you want, it's got nothing to do with me!"

"The evil standing before me…" Said Monokuma as he started sweating. "I'm trembling with fear…! But I won't give in to such evil! It's my style to stick it out and resist till the very end…! If you _really_ wanna get out of here, you'll have to go through _me_ first!"

As he said that, he came charging at us, Although, it was more of a waddle… But then Junko suddenly rushed forwards and knocked him down. Pinning him under her foot.

"Are you enjoying yourself now?" She asked aggressively.

"Are you?" He asked.

"Huh?" Was all Junko could say before Monokuma continued.

"Violence against Headmaster Monokuma is not allowed." He said angrily. "You've violated a school regulation… I invoke the mighty summon spell! Help! To me, godly spear, Gungnir!"

All of us (Except for Togami) gasped in shock as small holes in the floor opened up and spears pierced Junko's body. Making her scream in pain.

"Wh…? H-Huh?" She managed to speak out. "This wasn't… Supposed to… Why… Me…?"

Suddenly, right at the end, her shot wide open. And just like that, she went limp. Never to move again.


	22. Day 5 Part 3: Framed

The spears that struck Junko shot back through the floor. Her body falling lifelessly the ground. Blood poured through the wounds as we looked on in total shock.

"Wh-What the…?" Stammered Asahina.

"I don't…" Was all Chihiro could say before she started crying.

"Th-This can't be real." Gasped Leon.

"NO WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYY!" Screamed Yamada.

Monokuma stood up. "Now I am painfully aware of the great power and meaning of a promise…" He began. "I really wanted to keep a corpse from popping up for no good reason, ya know? But I guess you needed to be taught a lesson, after all. Ahh, what an amazing promise! But now you guys understand, right?"

Monokuma's next words put us into a state of shock.

"Now you see just how serious I am…" He began. "Defy me and you get shot full of holes, exploded, buried alive, disintegrated… Et cetera. So, if you don't want that to happen to you, you'd best obey those school regulations!"

We all looked down at Junko's corpse. An unbelievable amount of blood poured out from her body. It was the first time of many that I'd seen someone's life end abruptly. Nobody there could deny what they'd seen. Junko Enoshima, who until just a second ago had been our friend, was dead. She'd died. She'd been murdered. In simple terms…

…It was the death of a human being.

"It's really not all that shocking." Monokuma said. Clearly not phased by this at all. "She just died, that's all. Just went and died. It's no more remarkable than the inevitable demise of the entire human race. It's just as natural as the eventual end of the world itself. This isn't some superhero comic. So it's not like when you die, you didn't _really_ die. This is reality! Cram as many feathers down her throat as you want, he ain't coming back!"

"…Why did you have to kill her?" Asked Kirigiri. "Didn't you say that you would put her in prison or something?"

"I changed my mind." Said Monokuma.

"No, you've been wanting to kill her this entire time." Kirigiri stated ominously.

"Kill this entire time…?" He repeated in confusion. "Don't be silly, you can't kill time! Or are you being metaphorical? Are you saying I wanted to waste time this whole time? Come on, what do you take me for? I'm Monokuma! Anyway, none of that matters right now. I have something I'd like to give you to help you in your search for the blackened!"

After his speech, Monokuma pulled out some sort of file with his face on it, and the number one in an orange square in an upper corner. The words "MONOKUMA FILE" were imprinted on it in all capital letters.

"This little file has all the information I've gathered about the death in question. I like to call it the Monokuma File!" He continued. "I mean, naturally you guys aren't experts at this kind of thing, so you can only do so much with a corpse. So instead, I've gathered up everything I know about the circumstances and cause of death. What's that? How do I know the cause of death, you ask? Cuz the surveillance cameras picked up the whole thing! I got to see it all go down!"

"Wait, so then… You know who killed Maizono?" Asked Kirigiri.

"Of course, I do!" He replied. "If I didn't, I couldn't possibly pass up a fair and accurate judgement during the trial, now could I?"

"That's a good point." Kirigiri agreed. "The judge has to be able to make the proper decision. That's… Somehow comforting."

"Now then, please put your full effort behind your investigation!" Said Monokuma. "After all, you don't have any choice but to give it your best shot! Seriously, you don't have a choice! Okay, so we'll meet up for the class trial… In a little while!"

And with that, Monokuma disappeared once again. He left us stunned and confused…

He left us at a total loss.

He left us with Junko's dead body growing colder right in front of us.

And for who knows how long, nobody said a word. The fact that Maizono and Junko were dead was a huge shock, of course. But there was more to it than that…

It was also the idea that one of us had actually murdered someone. And that if we didn't find out who it was, we would all die here. We'd found ourselves in a situation where we couldn't help but look at each other with open suspicion. It was the worst situation imaginable. And yet, even in such a perversely terrible situation, Kirigiri didn't show the slightest hint that it had gotten to her.

"Now's no time to wallow in your depression." She said. "The worst thing we can do right now is lose faith in each other. That would lead to the same disastrous result as having _total_ faith in everyone else."

"Huh…?" Was all Leon could say. He, like myself, and possibly many others, were in total awe at what she just said.

"Cooperation is absolutely key at this point." She continued. "Who you decide to trust or not trust is, of course, up to you."

"Continuing to think about and talk about the deceased certainly isn't going to help anything. Said Celeste.

"S-Saying stuff like that is just-!" Asahina began. Celeste cut her off.

"How many times have I told you?" She asked no one in particular. "Anyone who can't adapt… Will die. Death is the only thing awaiting those who are unable or unwilling to adapt. If that happens, you only have yourself to blame."

Asahina didn't take kindly to that. "What an awful thing to say!" She exclaimed. "Especially after what's happened!"

"Right now, exposing the killer is the most important thing." Said Kirigiri. "Because if we don't, we're all going to die here."

"…She's right." Stated Togami. "We need to begin our search right away."

"Either way, we can't run away from the situation, so we have no choice but to move forward." Said Sakura.

Asahina sighed in defeat. "We just hafta do it, I guess… What other choice do we have?"

"No way in hell am I letting someone kill me…!" Grunted Leon. "Alright, damnit! Let's do this!"

We just have to do it… Everyone kept repeating that sentiment. They were using it like a mantra to give themselves strength. But they're right. We just have to do this. No matter how much we don't want to, we have no choice. If that's what it takes to survive, then that's what we have to do!

On top of that, there was something I needed to find out…

I had to know why Maizono had to die. Why did she have to be the one…?

I'm terrified to find out, but still… I have to know. Otherwise, I knew I'd never be able to accept her death. Which is why I don't have any other choice! I have to do this!

Suddenly, I felt someone staring at me. It was Celeste. At first, she looked as if she was observing me, and then she chuckled.

"Heh heh… So you finally noticed."

"Huh? Noticed what?" Asked Leon in confusion.

"I was looking through the Monokuma File we received, and I noticed something very obvious, and very unusual." She explained.

"Huh? What are you talking about…?" Asked Chihiro.

"Go ahead, take a look." She replied. "Notice anything interesting about where Maizono died?"

Her next words sent a chill down my spine.

"She died in Naegi's room."

"Wh-? She's right!" Exclaimed Asahina. Ash she looked up from her e-Handbook.

"Then, could it be…?!" Trembled Yamada.

All at once, everyone's gaze turned to me. Some faces were in fear, others in anger. But Kirigiri had her usual expression.

"H-Hold on a second!" I stammered. "You've got it all wrong! F-For just one night, I… I traded rooms with her. I did it because… She was afraid."

"Y-You expect us to b-believe that?!" Stammered Fukawa in anger. "Just tell us the t-truth!"

The look in everyone's eyes had done a complete 180 from just a few minutes earlier. The feeling of suspicion and fear had returned. In other words…

I was in MASSIVE trouble!

"Y-You think _I_ did it!?" I asked.

"Naegi… How could you?" Stammered Chihiro.

"Bastard…" Mondo muttered under his breath.

"I didn't do it!" I exclaimed. "I swear!"

"Everyone, calm down!" Yelled Kirigiri. Gaining our attention. "Before we start searching for Maizono's killer, we need to decide what to do about securing the crime scene.

"What do you mean…" I asked her.

You're thinking of putting someone on guard duty so nobody can disturb the area, aren't you?" Asked Togami. After all, if the culprit decides to destroy the evidence, we're pretty much screwed."

"In that case, I don't mind doing it." Said Mondo. "I don't like havin' to think, anyway. I'll let you guys find out who killed Maizono."

"Okay, then we can let Mondo look after the scene." Said Asahina.

"Well, no…" Togami interfered. "We can't just leave him there alone."

"What?" Mondo gasped in disbelief. "Why the hell not?!"

"Isn't it obvious?" Togami continued. "If you were the culprit, what's the first thing you would do? By volunteering for guard duty, you're in a position to destroy all the evidence you want."

"Wh-!? Fuck you!" Mondo Retorted.

"Fine, then I'll stay on guard duty as well." Said Sakura. "That way, there's no problem."

"2-player co-op base defense with the two of them…" Mused Yamada. "With their stats, they're totally OP!"

"Since, we won't be able to help investigate, we're putting our faith in the rest of you." Sakura continued.

"I-I'm still pretty freaked out, but… I'll try." Agreed Asahina.

"Are we done talking?" Asked Kirigiri. "We need to begin our investigation soon. At this point, we should split up. We need to get to the bottom of this and find out who killed Maizono. We'll have to construct clues to form a foundation, then construct an argument to come to a final decision. If we get this wrong… Well, do I have to say any more?"

"I'd rather you didn't, no…" Worried Yamada.

"Everyone pray for good luck."

With that, Kirigiri ran out of the gym.

"I'll be going, too." Said Togami as he fallowed her. He was gone before we realized it.

"Oh yeah, I'm on guard duty, huh?" Asked Mondo to no one in particular. "I'd better head to the scene of the crime!"

"Ah, that's right." Agreed Sakura.

"Lemme just say this right now!" He began. "If whatever son of a bitch did this is here right now, and they're thinking of destroying the evidence, they'd better not let me find 'em! I'll skip the trial and cave their goddamn skull in myself! I'm serious! I _will_ fuck them up!"

Letting his deadly words hang in the air, he and Sakura ran off.

"But…" Began Asahina. "I mean, we're not detectives or anything, y'know? And we're gonna investigate a murder? How do we even do something like that?"

"We don't r-really have to do anything in p-particular." Said Fukawa. "W-We already know who k-killed Maizono…"

"What are you implying…?" I asked. Fukawa angrily pointed at me.

"It was y-you!" She snapped.

"I'm telling you, it wasn't me!" I snapped back.

"D-Don't come any c-closer!" She angrily yelled. "Are you g-gonna kill me next!?"

"W-Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot." Asahina spoke up. "It's not for sure that Naegi's guilty yet."

"That's true." Agreed Yamada. "We may as well at least check just to check."

"Even if I w-wanted to, I c-couldn't help inv-vestigate…"

"Wait, why not?" Asked Leon.

"I'm not g-good with… B-B-Blood." She explained. "All it takes is o-one glimpse and I b-black out."

"Well whatever." Shrugged Leon. "I don't think anyone was expecting much from you, anyway. Alright, I guess I better get going."

"W-Wait, don't go yet!" I yelled as everyone left the area. "You have to hear me out!"

But it was pointless. Everyone already left. And their parting looks at me had still been filled with suspicion.

I had some time to collect my thoughts. First, we're trapped in this school, then Maizono is murdered, then Monokuma killed Junko, and now people suspect that I killed Maizono! Does everyone really think that? How did it turn out like this? Did Monokuma _really_ have to kill Junko like that? Seriously, they've got it all wrong…

"Why do they have to suspect me?!" I yelled out to no one in particular.

I have to do something. Otherwise, everyone, me included, will…

 _"Execution is… Execution. Ex-e-cution! Electric chair, bzzt bzzt! Poison gas, cough cough! Torn apart like a paper plane in a hurricane!"_

I can't let that happen… I can't let things turn out the way Monokuma wants! All I have to do is find out who really did it. Who really killed Maizono!

My name is Naegi Makoto, and I'm being framed for a crime I didn't commit…

* * *

 **A/N: Whew! Another chapter completed! Boy, my fingers are tired! Anyway, hope you're all enjoying the story so far!**

 **Next time, the investigation for Maizono Sayaka's murder begins…**


	23. Day 5 Part 4: Investigation (Part 1)

Before I did anything else, I looked at the Monokuma File we got before. It read:

"The victim was Maizono Sayaka. The time of death is estimated to be around 1:30 AM. The body was discovered in Naegi Makoto's room, in the dormitory. All evidence suggests that the death took place in the bathroom. The cause of death was a stab wound to the abdomen. There was also an injury to her right wrist. Specifically, the wrist appears to have suffered a fracture."

We have no choice but to push forward if we want to find out what happened. Somehow, I have to find the truth so that we can all survive… And as for Maizono, I have to find out how she was killed!

I suddenly heard a sniffle coming from somewhere in the room, it was coming from Chihiro. I spoke calmly to her. "Aren't you going to help investigate, Chihiro?"

"But…" She began. "I can't leave Junko here. I-I feel sorry for her… I… I have to stay with her."

Understanding, I nodded and walked over to Hagakure who was panicking to himself. "Ugh… No way. I seriously don't wanna die here…!" He then began screaming. "I'm begging you! God, Buddha, Mother Earth, God of Space, King Neptune! Help me! I don't care who it is, just get me outta here!"

Looks like Hagakure doesn't seem prepared to do any kind of investigating right now. So, I let him be in his own little world. I looked at Junko's body once more before shedding a tear and walking out of the gym.

* * *

I head to the scene of the crime: My room. We won't make any progress without investigating there. When I got there, Mondo and Sakura were there guarding the bathroom where Maizono's corpse was, and Kirigiri was examining the slashes on the walls. I looked inside the drawer where the toolkit was. I didn't really see any evidence that it's been used at all. Which makes sense, I guess. I mean, I haven't had any reason to open it.

"Yo, Naegi." I jumped at the voice. To my relief, it was only Mondo. "We ain't exactly in the mood to be building' fuckin' furniture, right?"

"So, you haven't used yours, either, then?" I asked.

"Not just me. Nobody's busted theirs out yet, as far as I know." He explained. "Actually, we were talking about it yesterday. None of the guys opened their toolkits yet. Cuz like, why the hell would we?"

This seemed like useless information, but I had a sneaking suspicion that this might be useful.

The next thing I examined was the lint roller. At first glance, it seemed normal, but when I got a closer look, it looked like there was way less than there was before. Did Maizono see how dirty my room was and decide to clean up a little…?

On the floor next to the lint roller was the replica sword I brought back for self-defence. It was out of its sheath, so does that mean it was used in the attack somehow? I hadn't looked at the blade until now. I shouldn't be surprised that it's coated in gold, too.

On top of that, some of the gold coating has come off parts of the blade, and the handle, too. The handle especially missing lots of its coating. I remember on the second day that when I barely touched it with my finger, the coating stuck to me. So, I assumed either Maizono or the killer used this during the attack.

There was also a key on the ground. It has my name on it, so this must be my room key. If I remember correctly…

 _"Ah, that's right. We'll have to trade keys."_

When we switched rooms, we switched keys, too. So Maizono would have had the key here in my room the entire time. But if that's true, how did the killer get into the room in the first place? Could Maizono have forgotten to lock the door? No, that seems impossible. I specifically told her that even if it was me, she shouldn't open the door for anyone. After promising, there's no way she would have forgotten to lock it, or opened it for any reason.

'Well, maybe she dropped they key somewhere and someone else grabbed it.' I thought to myself.

No, that's not possible, either. Maizono was in here when we switched rooms. And with how scared she was last night, she wouldn't have gone walking around. And besides, we all promised we wouldn't go out of our rooms at nighttime. So she couldn't have dropped it…

So, how did the killer get in here?

The sword's sheath was also on the floor. But as I looked closer, there were some scratches on it. They must've been made with something sharp…

But how did the sheath get scratched up in the first place? Even if someone used the sword during the struggle, it doesn't make sense for the sheath to be damaged. I mean, if you're gonna attack someone with a sword, the first thing you'd do is unsheathe it. A heavy sheath like this would only get in the way. It could just slide off in the middle of the fight. So, why are there scratches on the sheath?

I took a better look at the slashes and gouges on the floor, walls, and bed. If I didn't know any better, I'd say there some kind of struggle.

"Damnit…!" I cursed to myself. "I was right there in the other room! If only I'd heard something!"

"That would not have been possible." Said Sakura.

"Huh…?"

"Don't you remember? All of our rooms are completely soundproof." She explained. "So something could happen in the room right next to you, and there's no way you could know. Perhaps this was another of Monokuma's strategies, creating an ideal setting for murder…"

It sounded crazy, but I had a feeling that might help us in the investigation…

"Sakura…" I began. "Do _you_ think I'm guilty, too?"

"I try not to make assumptions like that." She replied. "I simply don't know whether or not you did this. Whatever decision the rest of you come up with, I will follow your lead."

"I see…" Was all I could say.

"Yo, Naegi." Called Mondo. "Come here, for a second, would 'ya?"

"What is it?" I asked.

"I realized something while I was on guard duty." He began. "The killer could've already destroyed some evidence, right? Before anyone found the body, I mean. There's a trash room here in the dorms, right? They coulda tossed some stuff in there…"

"Y-Yeah, that's definitely possible."

"That dirty bastard…!" Mondo cursed under his breath. "Anyone who raises their hand to a woman is scum that deserves death. That's what my brother taught me. So if I ever find the son of a bitch that did this, I'm gonna pound his goddamn face in!"

"B-But…" I stammered. Trying to calm him down. "What if it was a girl that did it?"

Mondo was completely silent. "That'll get sorted out when the time comes." He eventually replied.

I quietly called Kirigiri's name while she was investigating the area, but she just ignored me.

"What are you doing?" I asked her.

"Isn't it obvious?" She asked back.

"N-No, not really…"

"I'm searching." She stated.

"Searching…?"

She was down on her knees, carefully inspecting every inch of my room.

"Did you lose a contact or something?" I asked. All she did was scoff and go right back to what she was doing. I dunno what she's doing exactly, but she seems to be concentrating pretty hard on it.

But a few seconds later, she suddenly stood up straight and said…

"Are you a clean freak?"

"Huh?" I gasped. Why would she ask such a thing? "N-No, I don't think so. But what…?"

Nodding, Kirigiri glanced around my room one more time.

"Interesting…" She mused.

"What's interesting?" I asked.

"Just as I suspected. There's something very unusual about your room."

"Unusual?" I repeated. "What do you mean?"

"I've searched your floor from one corner to another…" She began. "…And I didn't find one single strand of hair."

"Really…?" I asked. Interested in what she was talking about.

"Not one hair from the victim, and not one hair from you, even though you've been living here."

"You know, now that you mention it…" I began. "I noticed something while I was looking around before. It looked like the lint roller had been used, but I never touched it. Could someone have used it to…?"

"Very interesting…" Mused Kirigiri. "Your room didn't have a single hair in it, and someone used your lint roller without your knowledge. In other words; someone other than you came in and scrubbed your room clean."

"Was it Maizono or the killer?" I asked. She simply shrugged.

"That's the question, isn't it?"

I looked behind her. The bathroom door was still wide open. And on the other side was…

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Naegi?!" Yelled someone from behind me. I turned around in shock to find none other than the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader.

"I-I…" I began. Mondo didn't even wait until I got the next word out.

"Tryin' to interfere with the evidence, are ya?" He bellowed as he cracked his knuckles. "Why, I oughta…"

I closed my eyes tightly and braced myself for impact, but it never came. When I opened them again, Kirigiri was standing between both Mondo and I.

"Hold up." She said to him. "If Naegi wants to investigate, he shall. I have taken a look around here, and there's some strong evidence that he didn't do it."

"Whu-? Seriously?" He asked as his anger turned into curiosity. "What do you mean?"

"I'll explain in due time." She replied before turning her attention to me. "Naegi, go ahead into the bathroom."

"Th-Thanks…" I said before gulping nervously and stepping into the bathroom.

* * *

There she was. Maizono Sayaka dead in my bathroom. Looking at her made it painfully clear it wasn't a dream, or an illusion. She had lost everything that made her "Her"…

All at once I was overcome with dizziness, nausea, the urge to burst into tears, and many other feelings I couldn't explain. Why…? Why did Maizono have to die? I have to uncover the truth. I have to find out what happened! I wanted to give up, I wanted to collapse. But that thought held me up and supported me.

I told myself I simply couldn't face what I saw, but I couldn't think about that now! I pulled out the Monokuma File to verify what it said about her body.

"Let's see…" I began. "Some sort of sharp object has been thrusted into her stomach. That must have been the killing blow… But where did they get it from, anyway? That's definitely something I should look into later…"

I took a closer look at Maizono's right wrist. According to the Monokuma File, her right wrist is broken. Her wrist does look swollen and bloody, that's for sure, but there's something sort of glittery there on her wrist, too. Right were her wrist was swollen, there's something golden and glittery. That definitely concerns me…

Another thing that concerns me is there's some blood on her left index finger, but that's it. The palms of both of her hands are totally spotless, so how come there's blood only on her left finger?

The stab wound in her stomach is what killed her, so when she broke her wrist, that must've happened earlier on. I mean, how would her wrist get broken after she'd already been killed? So it's very possible she broke her wrist during the struggle…

The killer attacked Maizono in the main room, which is where she got her wrist broken. After that, the killer cornered her in the bathroom where the inflicted the deadly wound.

I looked past Maizono to the wall behind her. And I saw the numbers 11037 written in blood. Did Maizono do this? If so, that must explain the blood on her left index finger.

Before I left the bathroom, I took one more look at Maizono's corpse. "Maizono…" I said to her body. Knowing good and well she couldn't talk back. "I'm sorry I wasn't there…"


	24. Day 5 Part 5: Investigation (Part 2)

"It looks like you found it, right Naegi?" Asked Kirigiri as soon as I stepped out of the bathroom. "The bloody numbers… That's mist likely Maizono's dying message."

"I've never seen something written in blood before…" I replied. Still shook up after witnessing that horrible scene again. "It really was her final message… It's as if she wrote its with life itself."

"…Do you often talk like an aspiring poet?" She asked.

"But the numbers she wrote… What do they mean?" I asked back. "11037… I have no idea what they could possibly mean."

"The way she wrote the numbers makes me think she wanted to use her body to block them." Explained Kirigiri. "If she wrote them in that location while she was sitting the way we found her, it means she must have wrote them by turning only her hand toward the wall. If you were to write something in that position, do you know what the result would be?"

"The result…?" I repeated.

"Think about it." Was all she said.

"You're not gonna tell me?"

"You need to uncover the mystery of this case yourself…" She explained. "Otherwise, the case will end and you'll remain unconvinced."

I had no idea what she was trying to say, but it was obvious she wasn't going to tell me. It sounded like Kirigiri knew what Maizono's dying message means. But honestly, I have no idea…

Oh, I know who I should talk to. When it comes to numbers, who better to ask than the Ultimate Programmer? But before I walked out the door, Kirigiri grabbed my shoulder with her voice stopping me in my tracks.

"Naegi, there's one other thing I wanted to ask you about." She began. "Do you know how the door to your bathroom got broken?"

"Broken…?" I repeated before assuming what she meant. "Oh, you mean how it gets stuck?"

"Gets stuck?" She repeated as well. Almost in a gasping tone.

"Yeah, I guess I'm the only one, but the door doesn't fit the frame quite right." I explained. "When I first tried to use it, I thought it was just locked. But once you learned the trick, it opens no problem."

"So, the door doesn't quite fit the frame, huh?" She asked after a brief moment of silence. "But actually, I'm referring to the broken doorknob."

"Huh? The doorknob?" I asked.

"You didn't notice? Well, just try closing the bathroom door." She said as she gestured towards the doorknob. "I'm sure you'll see right away what I'm talking about."

I did what Kirigiri said and shut the bathroom door. But when I did, it looked like the doorknob was about to fall right off!

"What the heck…?" I muttered under my breath. Surprised that I didn't notice that in the first place.

"Someone must have used a screwdriver or something similar to unscrew it." Kirigiri assumed. "Whatever it was, it's obvious this was intentional."

"What!? It was intentional?" I exclaimed. "Why would someone do that?!"

"I guess maybe they were trying to get the door unlocked and ended up breaking the whole thing."

"But my bathroom doesn't have a lock on it…" I explained. "Only the girls' bathrooms can lock, right?"

Kirigiri stood there for a while with a hand to her chin, lost in thought. Then, apparently struck with a sudden realization, she shot a question at me…

"I have just one more question for you…" She began. "You mentioned earlier that your bathroom door would get stuck, right? Did you tell anyone about that?"

"Oh, umm…" I stammered. Not sure how she would take this. "Well, I did tell Maizono about it last night when we switched rooms."

"So what you're saying is, only you and Maizono knew about it…" Said Kirigiri. "Interesting…"

She had the slightest hint of a smirk on her face. I got the sense that she was really starting to get into all this…

"Then that clears that up." She finally said.

"Huh? What clears what up?" I asked. "I'm so lost…"

"Well, see you later."

As if forgetting I was even there, she suddenly turned and left the room. I still don't understand any of this, but I've already given my room a good once-over. Maybe I should look around somewhere else…

I should start looking into where the murder weapon might have come from, and also the DVD Maizono got. With her dead, I have no choice but to see for myself what was in that video. And on top of that, I'm sure there are some other areas worth checking out, too. Maybe I should see what everyone else thinks. If they'll even talk to me, that is…

* * *

When I exited my room, I found Togami standing there. He took one look at me and sighed.

"So, why was Maizono in your room when she was killed?" He asked. "Could it be because _you_ are the culprit?"

"N-No, you've got it all wrong!" I retorted. "Maizono and I switched rooms last night."

All he did was give me a look of suspicion. He didn't even try to hide it. "Even if what you say is the absolute truth, you're still responsible for her death, wouldn't you say?"

"H-Huh?!"

"After all, she wouldn't have died if she hadn't switched rooms with you, right?"

"Gh-!" I gasped. The reason Maizono was killed was because I suggested we switch rooms? In other words. She's dead because of me…?

"Then…" I began. "It should have been _me_ that died?"

"Well, all we can say right now is that it's a possibility." Togami snickered before walking off. Leaving me with my thoughts

If that's really true, then I promise on my life that I'll avenge her death. I promise to find the killer, even if it means getting killed myself…!

"Yo, Naegi?" I jumped at the voice. Thankfully, it was only Leon. "You alright?"

"Y-Yeah…" I lied. I wasn't really okay after what Togami said to me. "Togami said some pretty harsh stuff…"

"Prick…" He said under his breath before speaking to me again. "Anyway, something doesn't seem right. I mean, The Monokuma File said Maizono was killed in your room, right?"

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?" I asked.

"Could it be… The nameplate?"

"What do you mean?"

"Could Monokuma, or even the mastermind, switched the nameplates while we were asleep?"

It seemed like nonsense, but I assumed that in a place like this, it could happen…

After saying goodbye, I headed off to the first location on my mind…

* * *

The first location I went to was back to the gymnasium to find Chihiro. Luckily, she was still there looking sadly at Junko's corpse.

I spoke up. "Hey, Chihiro. I was hoping I could ask you something."

"Oh? What is it?" She asked.

"Before she died, Maizono left a message." I explained. "She wrote out the numbers 11037. Do you have any idea what these numbers might mean? Like, could they be a code or something?"

"Umm…" Chihiro began. Deep in thought. Eventually she slowly shook her head and gave the answer I was worried about. "Sorry, no… I-I'm sorry… I just don't know."

I patted her back in comfort. "Okay, well, don't worry about it. Thanks anyway for trying."

Giving me a small smile, I set off towards my next location; the trash room.


	25. Day 5 Part 6: Investigation (Part 3)

I entered the trash room. There was some sort of hatch on the floor. I tried the handle. It was locked. I stood back up and looked at the massive and sturdy gate that was the only way to the end of the room. No way to get past…

"It's the end of the line." Said a voice from behind me. I jumped and turned around. It was Monokuma yet again. "The trash room… This is where all the trash in the school eventually winds up."

Still shook up, I asked him a question. "How do you get this gate open?"

"No no no! No entry beyond this point!" He exclaimed as he stood in front of the gate. Trying to block my way. "Only the person on cleaning duty is allowed in!"

"Cleaning duty…? Who's on cleaning duty?"

"Oh, wouldn't _you_ like to know?" He snarked. I had a good feeling he wasn't just going to tell me. I'd be faster to just go around and ask the others.

* * *

When I exited the trash room, I found Yamada walking by. He let out a small scream when he heard the door opening, but he breathed a sigh of relief when he realized it wasn't anyone to not trust… Hopefully.

"Umm…" I began. "I'm looking for whoever's on cleaning duty."

"Cleaning duty?" He repeated before he realized what I was asking. "As matter of fact, that's me! Why do you ask? It just so happens that Monokuma talked to me yesterday and asked me to take care of it. Without someone on cleaning duty, the school would be flooded with trash in no time! So, I formally applied for the position! I was gonna start this morning, but after what happened, I haven't had a chance to get started."

"And since you're on cleaning duty, you can open the gate in front of the trash room, right?"

"Of course!" He proudly proclaimed. "It's my job to gather up all the garbage and toss it in the trash room. And to do that, they gave me the key for the trash room gate! But we're supposed to rotate once a week, so eventually, you'll be in charge."

"Wait, hold on…" Began Togami who was listening close by. "You need a key to get into the trash room? And only the person on cleaning duty has access to the key? What's the point of going through all that trouble? Why not just leave the trash room open all the time so we can all throw things out whenever we want?"

"Actually, the regulations said that anyone who kills a fellow student and becomes "Blackened" will graduate, unless they are discovered." I explained. "So, if anyone could go in and out of the trash room whenever they wanted, then destroying the evidence would be easy."

"Ah, that's right." Said Togami. "The thrill would disappear, and things would become boring."

"B-Boring…?!" I stammered. Completely shocked something like this is what Togami considered "Fun".

Leon was also listening in. "Anyway, more important than that…" He began as he pointed towards Yamada. "Hey, fatty! Why'd you want the cleaning duty gig, anyway?"

"I-I just decided to volunteer for something I knew no one else would wanna do." Yamada trembled. "What's the big deal?"

"Liar!" Exclaimed Leon. "I know why you did it! You wanna dig through all the girls' trash! Looking for… Y'know, and poking around at it!"

"What are you talking about?!" Yamada retorted. "All my love is for 2D!"

But there's all kinds of trash diggers like that! Maybe you'll get tired of 2D, and then turn to-"

Yamada did not like that at all. "I would NEVER get tired of 2D!" He yelled. "After spending a significant amount of time comparing 2D and 3D, I voluntarily chose 2D! the only thing 3D is good for is to shower love and affection on 2D! Oh, and PVC figures!"

I decided to break their argument. "Anyway, on another topic;" I began. "Yamada, since you were on cleaning duty, I have a favor to ask you."

"Hm? A favor?" He repeated.

"Yeah, I was just hoping to get into the trash room and look around."

"Oh, okay!" Wow, that was easy…

Anyway, Yamada and I headed back into the trash room.

* * *

"You'd like me to open the gate, wouldn't you?" Asked Yamada. I nodded. "You know, when I look at it, it makes me think... They say he killed his wife. He learned how to get by on the inside, by he never stopped dreaming. Get busy livin' or get busy dyin', he said. So him and Rita found themselves a way out…"

"Whatever, please just hurry up!" I said impatiently.

"Okie dokie!" He proclaimed. "Leave it to me!"

Yamada pulled out a key out of his pocket and used it to flip a switch that was next to the gate. After that, the gate opened.

"However, Mr. Makoto…" Began Yamada. "Surely you aren't planning to use the trash room to destroy evidence, are you!? Y-You fiend…! You planned this all along!"

"N-No!" I retorted. "I just wanted to see if the actual killer had tried to destroy any evidence or not!"

"But the "Actual killer" is YOU, isn't it!?" He glared as he pointed at me. "You want to see if you left anything behind! Wait… Maybe a parallel world…?"

As Yamada was rambling on, I began searching around the room. I began with the incinerator at the far end of the room. It's a good thirty feet from here to the gate, and right now, it's on.

"Do you see the green and yellow buttons next to the mouth of the incinerator?" Asked Yamada. "It's a pretty simple setup; you press the green button to get it going, and the yellow button to turn it off. Sooner or later, you'll be on cleaning duty, so make sure you learn this before you leave, okaaaAAAYYY?!"

Yamada suddenly screamed as he pointed to the incinerator. "Huh!? Someone turned the incinerator one! Very strange… I'm quite certain it was off the last time I was down here. Perhaps it was the work of a fairy…"

"Yamada!" I exclaimed. "Do you realized what you just said?!"

"Huh?" He gasped. "The fairy…?"

"…No." I began explaining. "You said that the last time you were here, the incinerator was turned off."

"Ah, yes. About that there is no mistake." He said. "If I've got one thing going for me, it's my memory! Yesterday, as soon as I was appointed, I came down to check the place out. It definitely wasn't on then. I haven't been back in the trash room since then… And since I'm the only one who has a key to open the gate, it should be impossible for the incinerator to be one. And yet, here it is!

So that means that someone was able to switch on the incinerator without opening the gate. How is that even possible? Either way, I made a note in my mind to remember that piece of information.

On the ground in front of the incinerator was an object with a spot of blood on it. I picked it up. It was made of some kind of cloth, no doubt about that. But where did it come from?

"Find anything?" Asked Yamada.

"Yeah." I replied. "It's this burnt piece of… Something."

"A burnt piece…?" He repeated. "Like a hunk? Like a hunk of burning love?"

Ignoring that last part, I took a closer look at the object. It felt like fabric, and by the way it was made, it appeared to be part of the sleeve from a button-up shirt. And by the looks of the blood on the cuff…

"This is all that's left of some of the evidence the killer destroyed!" I exclaimed out loud. I slapped myself mentally after I said that. There are lots of people here with white button-up shirts. This isn't enough to find out who the killer is…

Below the on/off buttons were shards of broken glass scattered around. It looks to be some kind of glass ball, just about big enough to just fit in the palm of your hand.

"Ngyah!" Screamed Yamada in shock. "Is that…!?"

"Do you know what this is?" I asked.

"They say if you collect all seven, a dragon will appear and grant you a single wish!" Proclaimed Yamada before chuckling embarrassingly. "Erm, kidding aside, it's the kind of thing you might see on any big-city street corner. Gaze into it, and it will show you a glimpse of the future… Just like that Meena girl who was on that quest to find that one guy!"

"Yeah, I get what you're trying to say." I said. "But who did this particular ball belong to…?"

Yamada shrugged. That means that there's only one person it could be… They should all still be in the gym. I'd better go find out for sure…


	26. Day 5 Part 7: Investigation (Part 4)

**Before we begin, I'd like to address a review I got from Angel Wraith:**

 **They said: To be completely frank, this kinda feels like you're just rewriting the entire story of Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc. Because so far, I haven't found much difference in the story and the game, some lines are changed but they still have the same premise. You should probably try changing the story like who dies, who survives, the motives that sort of thing, so that way people don't automatically know who the killer is.**

 **First of all, I'd like to thank you for your review, Angel Wraith. But as I said in chapter ten where I addressed another person who mentioned something similar; This is kind of like a novelization, but it'll have a different ending. And like Naegi said in the first chapter: "It's also the story of how I lost some of those whom I've just met, only to gain them back in the end.". Hope that clears things up!**

 **And with that, let's move on to today's chapter!**

* * *

Before I exited the trash room, I heard Yamada mumbling to himself. "This whole thing is quite strange, indeed… When I was here last, the incinerator was off, and those glass shards and burnt clothes weren't there."

He then noticed that I was staring at him. He angrily pointed at me. "What does it all mean, Mr. Makoto?! Will you be confessing soon!?"

"Why me…?" I sighed.

"Everyone already knows you did it!" Yamada continued. "All the mysteries are being solved one by one!"

It sounds like he's living out one of his comic book fantasies…

* * *

I walked back into the gymnasium. Yep, there he was; Hagakure Yasuhiro. He was still praying to… Whoever.

I spoke up to gain his attention. "Hey Hagakure, can I ask you something?"

"Aggh!" He screamed. Not even noticing me. "No no no no no! I gotta get outta here! Gotta get out now! I've had enough! Gotta break free!"

"Kure, snap out of it!" I yelled. That seemed to do the trick.

"Huh? Naegi?" He asked. "What are you doing here? What…?"

I pulled out my e-Handbook and showed him the picture of the broken crystal ball I found in the trash room that I took earlier. "Does this look familiar?" I asked.

"Ahhh!" He screamed in fright after looking at it. "That's my crystal ball, but… It's all smasged! What the hell…? I-I only bought it cuz the guy said it was blessed! He said it was unbreakable…! So, how did it break? Was it actually made of glass and not crystal?! Did that guy totally dupe me?! He said it belonged to the pillars of history… Genghis Khan, George Washington, even Napoleon! He said that whoever controlled that crystal ball controlled the world! Was that seriously all BS?!"

"U-Umm…" I stammered. "Let's put that aside for now. So, you can say without a doubt that this belonged to you?"

"Yeah, that's mine for sure." He replied. Still shook up. "I probably forgot it in the laundry room last night. Someone must've come by and snatched it."

He left it in the laundry room? That means anyone could have found it and taken it…

"Thanks, Kure." I said. "That's all I wanted to know."

"S-Sure…"

"Um, by the way…" I began with curiosity. "I'm almost afraid to ask, but how much did you pay for that thing?"

"Everything I saved up from fortune-telling for two full years." He replied. But his next words put me into a state of shock. "Come out to be like… A million."

"A m-million!?" I exclaimed.

"That's pretty cheap, actually." He continued. "I mean, considering it gives you the power to control the world, and all…"

That's just too… Too stupid. I can't even feel bad for him…

I then remembered the DVD I found in Maizono's room. Immediately, I headed for A/V room.

* * *

When I got there, I sat down in front of one of the screens and put the DVD in the player. After I put my headphones on, I pushed play and the screen went dark for a few seconds before in image slowly appeared. It appeared to be concert of some sort. And standing onstage, front and center, was a face I recognized all too well.

"Maizono…" I whispered in disbelief. She was there, along with the friends she said had been so important to her. They were singing some song about hope and following your dreams while the audience was waving around glowsticks. She was positively glowing there in front of the crowd. So full of life…

Seeing that image made it even harder to accept that she was… Dead.

My vision started to blur and darken, and then that voice I'd come to despise so much began to float out of the speakers.

"Maizono Sayaka, the Ultimate Pop Sensation, lead singer for a world-famous all-girl pop band." Began Monokuma's voice. "For these girls, the glowing spotlight only made them that much more beautiful. But then…"

Suddenly, the screen went dark. And in the next moment, I saw something I could hardly believe.

When the image of the stage came back, Maizono had disappeared from it, which was now in ruins, the lights were all red, the screen behind them showed nothing, but what I noticed even more than that was the figures of the other gilds. They were collapsed on the ground showing no signs of movement.

Monokuma's face then appeared on the screen behind them. He began speaking again. "This ultra-successful team suddenly fell apart! None of them will ever perform onstage again, nor feel the warmth of the spotlight… And for Maizono, there's simply no nowhere for her to return to. So, here's the billion-dollar question: What, oh what could have caused the group to go to pieces!?"

The screen then faded to red, and then to text on a black background that read the same thing after mine; "Look for the answer after graduation!". Then the video shut off and the DVD ejected.

"Wh-What the hell?!" I exclaimed after standing up and taking my headphones off. "That wasn't real, right?"

They're a super famous pop group. Everyone knows who they are. Is he trying to say he was even able to get to them…? If that really did happen, everyone in the outside world must be going crazy!

"What kind of person would take things this far…!?" I asked as I made my way out of the room.

* * *

Next, I went to the dining hall. Hoping to find the murder weapon. Luckily, there was in the form of the Ultimate Swimming Pro. When she noticed me, she gave me a wave.

"Asahina…" I began. "Are you investigating the dining hall?"

"Oh, no. I'm just taking a break." She replied. "Actually, I've been taking a break since we started the investigation… This is all a first for me, ya know? I don't have the first clue what I should be doing."

"I know what you mean…"

"And I dunno why, but being in the dining hall helps me keep calm." She explained. "So I know I shouldn't, but I've been just kinda… Hanging around here. And to tell the truth, I was doing the same thing last night, when Maizono was killed."

"R-Right…" I stammered. How could she be thinking about taking a break after all this?

Focusing on my current mission, I made my way into the kitchen. The first thing I noticed was the massive pile of fruits and vegetables in the corner. Nothing noteworthy there. Above it was yet another surveillance camera. Knowing Monokuma could be watching me, there's no way I could concentrate on cooking anything…

Next to the camera was a rack that had all kinds of kitchen knives, big to small. But it looked like one of them was missing. Was it missing from the very beginning, or did the killer take it?

Wanting answers, I walked back into the dining hall to talk to Asahina about it.


	27. Day 5 Part 8: Investigation (Part 5)

"Hey, Naegi." Greeted Asahina. "Find anything useful?"

"As a matter of fact, I have!" I replied. "Did you notice that one of the kitchen knives is missing from the dining hall?"

"Yeah, weird huh?" She began. "I thought it was kinda strange, a knife disappearing like that."

"Oh, so it went missing from the beginning?" I asked. Asahina shook her head.

"Nope. Last I remember, they were all lined up in a nice, neat row."

"So, when did you notice one of them had disappeared?" I asked.

"Well, I went to go get some tea from the kitchen last night, and all the knives were still there." She explained. "But when I finished my tea and went back into the kitchen to wash my glass, one of the knives were gone."

"So you're saying that the knife disappeared while you were drinking your tea in the dining hall?" I asked.

Asahina nodded. In other words, she was right there in the dining hall when someone came and took it. Then she should be able to say for sure that you can tell everyone I didn't come into the dining hall last night. Which proves I didn't take it!

Just as I was about to leave, Asahina's voice stopped me. "Hey, by the way, Naegi…" She began. "Did you really kill Maizono?"

"Wh-What!?" I exclaimed. Shocked that even she was blaming me. "Of course not! I would never!"

Asahina gave me a skeptic look. "Do you really think I murdered her?" I asked.

"Well…" She began. "She _was_ killed in your room, right? So, I mean… You two were supposed to be friends, right? But you still… Killed her… On the other hand, two people becoming good friends, then one killing the other is a classic drama setup. So when you consider everything together…"

She eventually sighed in defeat. "…I honestly have no idea." She said sadly.

Just as I was about to comfort her, that sound I've come to dread played over the loudspeakers:

 **Ding dong, bing bong!**

The monitor in the dining hall turned on to reveal Monokuma in that same room with the monitors. "Erm, so ah…" He began. "I'm getting tired of waiting. What say we just get started, hm? It's time for the long-awaited class trial! Now then, allow me to appoint a proper location for the proceedings. Please go through the red double-doors on the first floor of the school! Upupupu… See you soon!"

"Huh?!" I gasped. "It's time for the trial already?"

"Naegi, can I be perfectly honest?" Asked Asahina. "I _really_ don't wanna do this…"

"Neither do I." I reassured her. "But if we don't do what Monokuma says…"

I trailed off. I really didn't want to what happened to Junko happen to either of us. Either way, Asahina got the message and grabbed my hand.

"C'mon, Naegi." She said. "It's now or never."

Agreeing, I walked with Asahina to the red doors.

* * *

When we both entered, we found everyone there. Ishimaru took one look at us and pointed furiously. "Naegi! Asahina!" He exclaimed. "You're both late! We've all been waiting for you!"

"Hmph." Huffed Fukawa. "I bet y-you were afraid you would be discovered as th-the murderer you are…"

"Let's not jump conclusions just yet!" Stated Ishimaru. "Save that for the class trial! There, we can all reveal the details of Naegi's crime!"

So they really are convinced I did it. But I didn't. Me and Maizono both know that all-too well…

But then, who _is_ the killer?

The one who murdered Maizono is in this very room. I took a gander at everyone's faces. Some were of worry and fear, others were of anger and confusion. And Togami and Kirigiri had their normal expressions. Could it really be one of us?

After a while of waiting, the monitor in the room turned on to reveal Monokuma yet again. "Upupupupu!" He laughed. "Is everyone here? Okay then. Please board the elevator in front of you, which will transport you all to the courtroom…"

His next lines sent shivers down all out spines. "Where all your fates will be decided. I'll meet you all down there. I'll be waiting…"

After that, the monitor turned off. "So whoever stuck us here even took the time to set up a goddamn courtroom, huh?" Asked an unamused Mondo.

"Damn…" Sighed Hagakure. "We really gotta go through with this whole class trial thing, huh? If the killer wants to confess, I guess now's the time to do it."

"You idiot!" Exclaimed Mondo. "Who the hell would just up and confess right now?!"

"Well, neither of us wants to do this damn trial!" Snapped Hagakure. "I just thought-!"

As Mondo and Hagakure went back and forth, I could see Chihiro drying her tears with her sleeve in the corner. I walked up to her in worry.

"Is there something wrong, Chihiro?" I asked.

"S-Sorry…" She apologized. "In the end, I wasn't able to do any looking around or anything… Is this really how Maizono would want us to find out who killed her?"

"Hey, hey…" I comforted as I pat her back. "If there's any information you could give, I bet that'd help out greatly!"

"Th-Thanks Naegi." She sniffled.

Just then, the elevator came up with a dinging sound as the doors opened.

"Let us begin…" Said Sakura as she stepped into the elevator.

"Good idea." Agreed Celeste as she followed her.

As everyone got onto the elevator, I was left frozen in place. Feeling like my feet were glued to the floor below me. Kirigiri's voice snapped me out of my trance.

"Are you scared?" She asked impatiently with a hint of worry in her voice.

"N-No, scared isn't quite right…" I replied.

"I said it before, but it's up to you to uncover the mysteries surrounding this case yourself." She began. "If you don't, you'll never come to grips with the truth."

After that, she walked into the elevator with the others. She's right. I need to uncover the truth of Maizono's death. I didn't need someone else to ell me how to do that?

"In Maizono's honor…" I sighed before raising my voice to give me courage. "I swear I'll find out who the real killer is!"

I then turned, trembling with anticipation, toward the elevator and began walking towards it. With each step, I could feel my heart starting to race faster and faster. When I finally got on, the doors closed behind me and the elevator started to move down.

* * *

The steel box descended with heavy clunking sounds toward the school's basement.

"I wonder if this is how a death row inmate feels when his time finally comes…" I said to no one in particular.

"Rather than that, is it not more like a defendant waiting to receive his judgement?" Asked Celeste.

Oblivious to our anxiety, the elevator lowered us further and further into the bowels of the school. This got me thinking to myself.

Either we all die, and the killer lives, or the killer dies, and we all watch their execution. There's no other option…

After what felt like hours, the elevator stopped and opened after dinging.

* * *

The room at the bottom had curtains lined up around a set of seats that all had names on them. And at the back of the room, in a large chair, was that bastardly, robotic bear.

"Nyohoho!" He laughed. "You've finally arrived! What do you think? Doesn't it feel just like a real courtroom? It's like a Hollywood movie set, am I right!?"

"Not even close." Grumbled Mondo. "It's total shit."

"Okay, okay, everyone find your assigned seats and sit down!" Explained Monokuma. Clearly ignoring Mondo's insult. "Hurry up now, hurry up!"

We did what he said and found our seats that were arranged in a giant circle so that everyone could see everyone else. Which also meant it'd be easy for anyone to transfer their tension and unease onto anyone else…

The seating order was as followed starting with me and going clockwise: Me, a sign that displayed Maizono's picture, Ishimaru, a sign that displayed Junko's picture, Sakura, Kirigiri, Mondo, Asahina, Monokuma's chair, Hagakure, Chihiro, Togami, Celeste, Leon, Fukawa, Yamada, and then back to me.

And so, the curtain on our first case opened…

A deadly judgement…

A deadly deception…

A deadly betrayal…

A deadly riddle, a deadly defence, a deadly faith, and many other deadly things…

It was a deadly class trial…!


	28. Day 5 Part 9: The First Trial (Part 1)

"Let's begin with a basic explanation of the class trial!" Began Monokuma. "So, your votes will determine the results. If you can figure out "Whodunnit", then only they will receive punishment. But if you pick the wrong one… Upupupu! Then I'll punish everyone _besides_ the blackened, and the one that deceived everyone else will graduate!"

"And the killer really is one of us, right?" I asked. Taking in everyone's looks again.

"Of course!" Snickered Monokuma.

"Okay then!" Stated Ishimaru. "Everyone close your eyes, and whoever did it, raise your hand!"

"Don't be a goddamn idiot." Grunted Mondo. "Why the hell would they raise their hand?"

Just then, Kirigiri cleared her throat. Gaining our attention. "Before we move on and start the trial, can I ask a question real quick?" She asked.

She then pointed to the signs depicting Junko's and Maizono's faces. "What's going on with those pictures?"

Monokuma chuckled evilly. "I'd feel awful if they got left out just because they died." He chillingly explained. "Friendship penetrates even death's barrier!"

Yamada began sweating. "Friendship… Penetrates?"

"Okay, but what about that other empty seat?" Asked Celeste. Addressing the seat in front of Monokuma's chair. "There were only fifteen of us to begin with, so why are there sixteen seats?"

"Oh, no reason." Shrugged Monokuma. "It's just that our little courtroom here can technically fit up to sixteen people. Okay, that about does it for the preamble. Get ready to get started! First up is the case summery. Now, let the class trial… Begin!"

After that, he pulled out a small gavel and banged it on the arm of his chair. It's about to begin; the debate to decide who we think the killer is… Anything I found, anything I noticed… I have to be ready to speak up about everything. Because this isn't just about me.

Everyone's lives are on the line!

Ishimaru started it off. "I assert that the one who was murdered was Miss Maizono Sayaka!"

"…Yeah, we know that part already." Sighed Hagakure.

"And the murder took place in Naegi's room." Added Togami. Taking a quick, cold glance at me.

"In the bathroom…" Corrected Asahina.

"So, it seems most likely that the killer must have taken her by surprise while she was in the bathroom." Assumed Chihiro, "She didn't even have a chance to resist…"

That caught me off guard. I know she didn't participate in the investigation, but when I discovered Maizono's body and screamed, surely everyone rushed to my room and saw how it looked.

"Just a second, Chihiro." I spoke up loudly, but not loud enough to scare her. "Try to remember how my room looked. With the way things had been damaged, I think we can definitely assume there was a struggle."

"A struggle?" Repeated Chihiro. "Between who… And who?"

"Between Maizono and the killer, of course." I said.

"So, you're saying…" She began. "Maizono wasn't caught by surprise in the bathroom…?"

"She must have been attacked in the main room first, then she ran to the bathroom to try and hide." Assumed Celeste. "The killer fallowed her in, and that's where they finished the job…"

"That much should have been obvious after taking one look at the scene." Stated Togami. "It shouldn't even need explaining."

"S-Sorry…" Apologized Chihiro.

"Hey, at least you tried." Comforted Hagakure. "Okay, so what's next?"

"Next is the subject of the murder weapon." Stated Sakura.

"Wow…" Said Yamada amazed. "This is starting to sound like a real trial!"

"So, what was used to kill her?" Asked Sakura. Ignoring Yamada's pointless comment.

"There was some kind of sharp object thrust into her stomach…" Assumed Ishimaru. "Without a doubt, that is the murder weapon!"

"So, the killer used some random knife they had on 'em…" Began Mondo. I cut him off there.

"No, that's wrong!" I exclaimed. "I do think it was a knife, but not just any knife. I'm almost positive it was a kitchen knife."

"Huh? A kitchen knife…?" He repeated.

"After the murder, we discovered that one of the knives from the kitchen was missing." I explained.

"Which means that knife must be the murder weapon." Sakura finished.

"Ohh… Yeah, I guess that makes sense." Shrugged Mondo. "You could sorta see the weapon stickin' out of her stomach… And if you look real close, I could totally see that being a kitchen knife."

"Okay, so the murder weapon was a kitchen knife." Said Leon. "But where does that get us?"

He then pointed angrily at me. "I mean, we all know Naegi killed her, right!?"

"That's r-right…" Stammered Fukawa. "Naegi's room was the s-scene of the crime. What more proof do you n-need?"

"H-Hold on a second!" I protested. "I'm-!"

Thankfully, Kirigiri spoke up to prevent an early judgement. "Let's draw our conclusions _after_ we've presented our arguments." She explained. "Otherwise, what's the point of the trial?"

"Well, we can talk all we want, it's not gonna change _that_ conclusion." Replied Leon.

"I don't think that's true at all." Said Kirigiri. "I'm sure if we keep at it, something new will reveal itself."

"You really believe that…?" Hagakure asked under his breath. Nonetheless, she's right. There's gotta be a breakthrough somewhere just waiting for us to find it. Because I know damn well I'm not the killer!

"So, I guess there's no question that the kitchen knife was the murder weapon." Said Leon.  
"But where does that get us?"

"N-Naegi must have taken it f-from the kitchen, right?" Assumed Fukawa. "He did it in s-secret, when nobody was in the d-dining hall…"

"Okay, wait, hold on." I interrupted. Making Fukawa growl in frustration. "I didn't take the knife from the kitchen."

"Next you're g-gonna say you're not the k-killer, right?" She asked furiously. "Go ahead and say it all y-you want…!"

"Well, what if I have a witness?" I asked before turning to the one person who I knew had something to say. "What do you think, Hina?"

"…Huh?" She asked as she cocked her head to the side.

"Remember what you were telling me earlier?" I asked. "Just to be perfectly clear, the knife disappeared while you were in the dining hall, correct?"

"Y-Yeah, that's right…" She said. Still having no idea what I was talking about… Yet.

"And at any point while you were there, did you ever see me come into the dining hall?" I continued.

"Umm… No, I don't think so…" She replied.

"You don't "Think" so?" Repeated Togami.

"…No, he definitely wasn't there!" Said Asahina.

"The knife disappeared while Hina was in the dining hall. But I wasn't there the entire time." I explained. "In other words, there's no way I could have taken the knife!"

"Okay, th-then what about this…?" Began Fukawa. "What if the i-idiot swimmer girl and N-Naegi are in on it together, a-and lying to protect each other?"

"Idiot swimmer girl?" Asahina repeated in disbelief before getting mad. "Oh, and more importantly, why would I get involved in something like that!?"

"Speaking of which, I'd like to ask the bear…" Began Togami as he turned to face Monokuma. "If there _is_ an accomplice, do they also become "Blackened"?"

"So you ask, and so I shall answer!" He chuckled. "Each murder is allowed to have an accomplice, but only the one who does the killing will get to graduate."

"So in other words, two people can work together, but one of them has no chance of profiting from it…" Assumed Kirigiri.

"Then there's no way anyone would work together, right…?" Asked Mondo.

Chihiro spoke next. "But…" She began nervously. "What if they _did_ work together, and they just didn't know about the rule?"

"Uggh, good grief!" Monokuma groaned frustratedly. "Enough already! No, okay!? There are no accomplices in this case!"

He then realized what he just said. "…Oops!" He chuckled as he covered his mouth. "Did I say that out loud…?"


	29. Day 5 Part 10: The First Trial (Part 2)

"Anyway, I didn't go to the dining hall, and I didn't take the knife." I explained. "So I'm not the killer!"

"Okay, so then…" Began Chihiro as she looked around nervously. "Who _did_ take the knife?"

"Hina seems like the obvious candidate." Assumed Celeste. "After all, she just said she was in the dining hall…"

"N-No way!" Protested Asahina. "I swear it wasn't me!"

"Sure, but can you or anyone else prove that?" Asked Yamada.

"I can." Said Sakura suddenly.

"That's right!" Proclaimed Asahina. "Sakura was with me the entire time I was drinking me tea."

"Uhh…" Began a nervous Leon. "I hate to have to ask, but just be sure, Sakura's…"

"Me." Sakura replied while giving him a stern look.

"…Right." Said Leon.

"But then… Couldn't either one of them have grabbed the knife?" Asked Hagakure.

"Actually, no." Began Asahina. "Because, um, well…"

"Just spit it out already!" Said a frustrated Mondo.

"I stayed in Hina's room last night." Sakura finished.

"I got so scared thanks to those creepy videos." Explained Asahina. "I wasn't really thinking. I just asked her to stay over. Which means we have airtight alibies!"

"You s-stayed over…?" Began Fukawa in a mixture of frustration and nervousness. "Doesn't that v-violate one the school r-regulations?"

"We're not aloud to sleep anywhere but the dorms, but it doesn't say we have to stay in our assigned room…" Said Chihiro. "So… I don't think that's a problem."

"It IS a problem!" Exclaimed Ishimaru. "A boy and a girl spending the night together!? It's… It's… Unwholesome!"

"But…" Began Sakura. "I'm a girl."

"Wh-!? You are!?" He stammered. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!"

"But if it wasn't either of you, then what other possibility is there?" Asked Celeste.

"Actually, there _is_ one other possibility." Stated Sakura. "Right, Hina?"

"Oh yeah, that's true!" She realized. "One other person did come to the dining hall while we were there."

"Why didn't you say so in the first place?" Sighed an unamused Togami.

"Well, because…" She stammered. "They're not here anymore."

Someone who's not here? Was she talking about…?

"Maizono." She continued. "She's the one who came to the dining hall. And then later… She wound up dead…"

"M-Maizono…?" I stammered. " _She_ took the knife…?"

"That's the only possibility." Said Sakura. Nodding. "And thinking back on it, she was acting kind of unusual… When she came into the dining hall, she didn't even look at us. She just went straight to the kitchen. As she left, she said she just wanted a drink of water. But most likely…"

"Then the person who took the knife was the victim herself!" Finished Ishimaru.

"I'm sure…" I stammered. Not knowing how to put it. "I'm sure she just took it for self-defence…"

"So, you're saying the knife she took was then taken from her, and she was killed with it?" Asked Togami. "In that case, you may not have taken the knife, but you still could have killed her."

"What!?" I exclaimed.

"S-See!?" Fukawa exclaimed as she angrily pointed at me. "He did do it a-after all!"

"No, you're wrong!" I protested.

"So that's how you would the argument and send us all off in the wrong direction…!?" Growled Yamada. "Hm-hmm… You possess a most terrifying talent…"

Damn…! If I don't do something, they're gonna blame _me_ for the murder! Don't they understand? If they convict me, everyone's gonna die!

Kirigiri's voice then snapped me out of my thoughts. "Hold on." She began. "It's still too early to decide conclusively that Naegi is the killer, wouldn't you say? Because, you see, if the room _did_ belong to the killer, then they did something most bewildering. And until we unravel that little mystery, you simply can't declare that he's the killer."

"Bewildering?" Repeated Mondo before getting angry. "What the hell are you talking about?!"

"Something was missing from the scene of the crime that by all rights should have been there." Kirigiri continued before looking at me. "You know what I'm talking about, don't you?

I began thinking again. Something that was missing… Well, my room was oddly clean of any dust, particles, and…

"That's right!" I gasped. "There wasn't a single hair on the floor!"

"So…" Began Chihiro nervously. "The culprit removed some evidence?"

"Yes." I nodded. "And if I were the culprit, why would I need to get rid of all the hair in my own room? It wouldn't be unusual at all to find my hair at the crime scene, if the crime scene is in my room."

"The reason all the hair was gone…" Began Celeste. "Was to remove any trace that Maizono had ever been there. That makes sense, does it not?"

Kirigiri shook her head. "No. if that were the case, they would have had to do something about the body itself, not just her hair."

"Ah-ha-ha!" Laughed Yamada. "Yes, very true, very true!"

"Okay, then why wasn't there any hair on the ground?" Asked Leon.

"The killer got rid of it all, of course." Explained Kirigiri. "To remove any trace that _they_ had ever been there."

"Wait, then that means…!" Gasped Mondo before Kirigiri continued her explanation.

"Precisely. It's simply beyond reason to believe that the room's owner and the killer are one in the same."

"Then… Naegi isn't the culprit?" Asked Chihiro.

"But are you sure we can decide something so important based solely on the absence of some hair!?" Proclaimed Ishimaru.

"No. There are other reasons to prove why Naegi couldn't have done it." Said Kirigiri.

"I would like to hear these reasons." Said Sakura.

"Do you remember anything remarkable about the bathroom at the scene?" She asked to no one in particular. "Maizono was attacked in the main room first, then fled into the bathroom, right?"

"Yeah, then they ran after her, got into the bathroom, and stabbed her…" Assumed Mondo.

"And how did the killer get into the bathroom?" She suddenly asked. "Did they have any trouble with it?"

"What do you mean…?" Asked Celeste.

"It's fairly certain that the killer had some trouble getting into the bathroom…" She continued. "There was clear evidence left behind. Do you remember, Naegi?"

The killer struggled getting into the bathroom. And the evidence that proves it is…

"Evidence that the killer had trouble getting into the bathroom…" I thought out loud before realizing what it was. "You're talking about the doorknob, right?"

"Huh? The doorknob?" Repeated Hagakure. "What doorknob?"

"The doorknob for my bathroom… It was completely broken." I explained as I took out my e-Handbook and showed everyone the picture of my doorknob. "See how the top part was unscrewed, and the doorknob's about ready to fall off?"

"Oh yeah, true…" Agreed Chihiro. "But what does it mean?"

"In trying to bypass the lock, they ended up nearly removing the entire doorknob." Explained Kirigiri. "This is another bewildering act for the room's owner. It proves Naegi is beyond suspicion."

"So what, you're saying that he wouldn't break the door in his own room?" Asked Leon. Kirigiri nodded. "But if the only choice you have is too break it, you break it! There's nothing "Bewildering" about it!"

"You still don't see?" Asked Kirigiri before going eerily calm. "Okay, then… Let's take another look at how the incident unfolded. Hopefully that will help you understand…"

Kirigiri said it was a "Bewildering act"… I almost didn't notice at first, but… Is that the key point here?


	30. Day 5 Part 11: The First Trial (Part 3)

"The incident took place in Naegi's room." Began Kirigiri. "Maizono was first attacked in the main room. She then fled into the bathroom."

"Then the killer ran after her…" Added Mondo. "And they got into the bathroom."

"At that point, the killer had to try and bust down the door because Maizono had locked it." Assumed Leon. That's where I cut him off.

"No, that's wrong!" I exclaimed. "The reason my bathroom didn't open wasn't because it was locked. After all, the girls' rooms are the only ones with locking bathrooms, right?"

"Yes…" Began Sakura. "Now that you mention it, that is true."

"Then… Why didn't your bathroom door open…?" Asked Chihiro.

"Because it was stuck." I explained.

"Huh?" Questioned a skeptic Leon. "What are you talking about?"

"My bathroom door doesn't fir in the frame quite right." I continued. "Monokuma over there can testify to that."

"Yup!" He nodded. "True as true can be! But ya know… You're supposed to be the Ultimate Lucky Student, right? But to have such a cruddy door… Upupupu…! That's not lucky at all!"

"Hold up!" I exclaimed. "What does that mean?"

"Eh?" Questioned Monokuma as he cocked his head in confusion.

"You keep saying that I'm lucky, why are you saying that?" I continued. "Nothing on my acceptance letter said anything about it, and as for my luck? I have the worst of it!"

"Upupupu!" He laughed. "That's for _you_ to find out!"

I groaned. I guess I won't figure it out…

Kirigiri then cleared her throat to gain our attention. "So, the reason the door didn't open was because it was stuck…" She began. "But the killer didn't know that, and assumed it was locked. So they tore apart the doorknob to get in."

"Okay, but why would the killer even think the door was locked in the first place?" Asked Celeste. "Everyone should have known you can't lock any of the boys' bathrooms."

"The killer could easily make that mistake, thanks to one important detail about the scene of the crime…" Replied Kirigiri before looking at me. I guess she wants me to speak next.

So, the killer was convinced the bathroom door was locked, and they didn't know that the door actually couldn't be locked. In other words, the important detail about the scene of the crime was…

"The killer must not have realized that it was my room." I eventually said.

"What?!" Exclaimed Yamada. "Are you saying the culprit didn't even know where he was? That's… Inconceivable!"

"And yet, he's absolutely right." Said Kirigiri.

"SAYWHAAA!?" Screamed Yamada.

"Well, to be more specific…" She continued. What the killer didn't know was that Naegi and Maizono switched rooms, which is what lead to the misunderstanding about the bathroom. If Maizono had been in her own room, then…"

"Then there _would_ have been a lock on the door, and they would've had to break through…!" Finished Ishimaru in shock.

"So they had no idea how unnecessary their actions were…" Mused Sakura.

"Ultimately, we can't know if it came open by force or simply by accident, but the killer must have been considerably confused with no idea how they actually got the door opened." Explained Kirigiri.

"Regardless, it was a pointless act." Stated Togami. "Wasting time trying to break down a door that wasn't locked is…"

"…Definitely something I wouldn't do, since I would've known exactly why it wasn't opening. Right?" I explained.

Togami sighed. "That is… A definite possibility."

"So the killer would have to be someone who didn't know they'd switched rooms…?" Asked Chihiro.

"Then Naegi _c-couldn't_ have done it…!" Said a disbelieved Fukawa.

'That's what I've been trying to tell you…' I thought in frustration.

"Okay, then who _did_ do it!?" Demanded Mondo.

"I'm sorry, but I give up!" Yamada said in a bold voice. "Quit without saving!"

"But…" Began Chihiro as she nervously looked at Monokuma. "What happens if we can't decide on who we think did it…?"

"Well then, why don't we just vote right now?" Suggested Ishimaru. "Majority rules!"

"Majority rules?" Questioned Leon in disbelief. "Do you really think that's a good idea?"

"Yeah!" Agreed Hagakure. "Our necks are on the line here! Someone seriously needs to do something. For serious…!"

"Does no one have any thoughts or questions?" Asked Celeste. "It does not matter how trivial they may seem…"

"Oh!" Gasped Asahina. "As a matter of fact, I do have one question!"

"Oh… You…" Sighed Celeste. Asahina didn't like that.

"You don't gotta sound so disappointed!" She exclaimed.

"It's fine, it's fine, just ask your question!" Said Ishimaru.

"Oh yeah! Okay, so, umm…" She stammered before asking something I never would've thought of. "Well, I was just wondering, how'd the culprit get into Naegi's room in the first place?"

"Hmm… Yes, how _did_ the killer get inside?" Asked Sakura.

"Maybe Maizono just dropped the key somewhere and the culprit picked it up." Assumed Leon. "That's possible, right?"

"I don't think so." Replied Ishimaru while shaking his head. "That seems way too convenient."

"Then…" Began Chihiro. "Maybe someone picked the lock?"

"Negative!" Disagreed Ishimaru. "If you remember, Monokuma made it quite clear that the locks are all unpickable."

"Fine, how about this?" Began Yamada. "The killer got in the easy way. They could've knocked and said they wanted to talk or something, and Miss Sayaka just… Let 'em in!"

"No, that can't be it, either." I said.

"O-ho!" He laughed. "Trying to argue against me? Sounds like someone doesn't know his place! Hello!? Why, exactly, can't that be it!?"

"Because Maizono was already scared, remember?" I continued. "That's why she asked me to switch rooms in the first place. I told her that, no matter who it is, she should never open her door for anyone. And even if she's absolutely sure it was me, she wouldn't open it. Knowing what she'd been through, I just can't believe she would have opened the door for anyone."

"…What if being scared was a lie?" Asked Kirigiri suddenly.

"Huh…?" I gasped in disbelief before getting angry. "Wh-What the hell is that supposed to mean?! Why would she lie about something like that?!"

Before she spoke again, she pulled out a shaded notepad with something written on it.

"I know you don't want to consider it, but look at this and tell me; can you still deny the possibility?"

I leaned in closer to read the note. What it said absolutely shocked me:

"There's something I want to talk to you about, just us two. In five minutes, come see me in my room. Check the nameplates to make sure you don't get the wrong room, okay? Maizono."


	31. Day 5 Part 12: The First Trial (Part 4)

"I found a notepad during my search, and I shaded in the top sheet with a pencil." Kirigiri continued. "And these are the words that appeared."

"Oh man, I've totally seen people do that on detective shows!" Said an excited Asahina. "When you write, it can leave an imprint. Sketch over the next sheet of paper, and you can see the words! When I saw that, I was like: "Holy crap! I better make sure I rip the paper out before I use it from now on"."

"It's a pretty old-fashioned technique, but even the classics can be surprisingly useful sometimes." Said Kirigiri. "Oh, and I should also mention… I found the notepad on the desk in Naegi's room."

"Huh?" I gasped. That would mean…!

"Which means only someone who has been in Naegi's room before the incident could have written it." She continued.

"Then either it was Naegi, who lived there, or Maizono, who switched rooms for a single night…" Assumed Togami.

Kirigiri took a glance at me and asked: "So, Naegi… Did you write this?"

"N-No, I didn't. But-" I began. Kirigiri cut me off and pointed to Maizono's name on the notepad.

"Of course you didn't." She began. "Because the note also bears a perfectly legible signature: Maizono's signature."

Then… That note…

Maizono wrote it…?

"B-But why?" I asked. "Why would she write that?"

"The note was likely her way of getting in touch with a certain someone." Kirigiri explained. "She must have slid it under their door to let them know she wanted to meet with them in secret."

"If you got an invitation like that from the Ultimate Pop Sensation, what young man could resist?" Asked Yamada before realizing what he said. "Of course, I'm only into 2D so it wouldn't have any effect on me!"

Just then, Celeste spoke up and asked something I never even thought of:

"…But can we be sure anyone even got this note? And honestly, even if they did, I do not think they are at all involved in what happened."

"Huh? What makes you say that?" Asked Chihiro.

"Hmhm…" She chuckled ominously. "Would you like to hear what I have to say? Very well, then. Pay attention!"

She then began explaining. "Maizono and Naegi switched rooms, correct? But in the note, the place they were asked to come to specifically says "My" room."

"I see…" Understood Chihiro. "So if someone read that note, then they would have gone to Maizono's room!"

"Exactly." Said Celeste happily. "The room that Naegi was staying in."

I cut her off there. "Wait, Celeste." I began. "If I remember correctly, the nameplates on my and Maizono's rooms got switched."

"They got… Switched?" She repeated in disbelief.

"That's right." Said Kirigiri. "The nameplates got switched, just like the rooms themselves. As a result, the nameplate on Maizono's room actually had Naegi's name, and the nameplate on Naegi's and Maizono's."

"So what you're saying is, the room Maizono was staying in, was actually marked as her room." Assumed Togami.

"Then…" Began Chihiro. "If someone did do what the note said, they would end up at Naegi's room, where Maizono was…"

"Plus, their rooms are right next to each other." Added Kirigiri. "So switching the nameplates would be no problem. And the one who switched the names was… Well of course it wasn't you, right Naegi?"

"R-Right…" I nodded. Leon spoke next.

"Okay… Then who did it?" He asked.

There's only one person who could've switched the nameplates. The only other person who knew we had switched rooms…

"Me and Maizono were the only ones who ever knew about us switching rooms." I began. "So the only other person besides me who would even know to switch the nameplates… Was Maizono."

"You can also infer as much from her note…" Said Kirigiri. "She specifically tells the reader to check the nameplate. She would only have written that if she knew the nameplates had been switched."

"But… Why would she switch them in the first place?" Asked Chihiro.

"She wanted someone to come to the room she was in, and also hide the fact that it was Naegi's room." She said.

"What…?" I gasped. Why on Earth would she do that?

"Inviting someone to "Your" room, but not telling them you'd switched rooms…" Repeated Asahina. "Why would anyone do that?"

"To understand that…" Began Kirigiri. "We first need to understand what happened after she invited the person into the room. That's where the answer lies…"

"What happened then was… Probably…" Began Ishimaru nervously. "Whoever she invited over… Came in, and attacked her! We figured it out! We know who did it! Whoever she invited over is the culprit!"

"But we still don't know who it is, ya goddamn idiot…" Said Mondo under his breath.

"Maizono fought with her killer in the room, yes?" Asked Celeste. "Perhaps the answer to our previous question lies in that initial struggle."

"Yes, I think you're right." Agreed Kirigiri.

"Then… We just have to figure out what happened during the fight, right?" Asked Asahina.

"That reminds me…" Sakura said suddenly. "There was a replica sword at the murder scene. Was that perhaps used during the fight?"

"Oh yeah, what's the deal with that sword?" Asked Mondo.

"Maizono suggested I should hold on to it." I explained. "I thought it might come in handy if I had to defend myself… It seems pretty likely that the killer used it to break Maizono's right wrist."

"How the hell could you possibly know that's what broke her wrist!?" Asked Leon.

"All you have to do is take a good look at her broken wrist, and it should become pretty clear." I explained as I pulled out my e-Handbook. Showing everyone the picture of Maizono's right wrist. Right there where her wrist is all swollen, there's something glittery there, see?"

"Is…" Gasped Chihiro. "Is that gold?"

"It sure is." I nodded. "Specifically, the gold coating from the replica sword. You barely have to touch that stuff and it'll stick right to you. And there's some on her wrist because-"

"I got it!" Interrupted Ishimaru. "Because she got hit with the sword, right there on her wrist!"

"I see, I see…" Smirked Yamada. "And so the truth draws ever closer…"

"Alright!" Exclaimed Hagakure. "Then it's about time to solve this mystery!"


	32. Day 5 Part 13: The First Trial (Part 5)

What happened in my room, and what lead to Maizono's death… That's what we need to make clear.

"When the fighting broke out…" Began Hagakure. "The culprit grabbed the sword. And that's when the first blow was dealt! A sword-based sneak attack!"

"Actually, no." I interrupted. "I don't think the fight started with the sword."

"Huh? Why not?" Asked Hagakure.

"Because the sword's sheath had been scratched." I replied. Taking my e-Handbook out to show everyone the picture of the sheath. "See? There's a gash in it, like someone cut into it with something sharp."

"Something sharp…" Began Chihiro. "You mean, like the kitchen knife? That was the only sharp thing found at the scene…"

"Stop jumpin' ahead!" Exclaimed Mondo. "Slow down and explain it so I get with the hell's goin' on!"

"If the sword was used first, there wouldn't be any explanation for the scratch on the sheath." I explained. "If you were going to attack with the sword, you'd take it out of the sheath, right?"

"That's true." Agreed Mondo. "With the sheath on, it'd be heavy and bulky and useless as shit."

"Okay, so how _did_ the sheath get damaged?" Asked Yamada.

"If they got attacked with the kitchen knife, maybe they grabbed the sword as a defensive impulse." Suggested Kirigiri. "In that situation, there wouldn't be any time to actually unsheathe the sword."

"So you're saying the sword was initially used to defend against an attack from the knife…" Said Sakura.

"Which means that whoever had the kitchen knife was the one who attacked first!" Proclaimed Yamada.

"I think I get it!" Began Ishimaru. "So, here's how it all played out: The culprit came in, found the kitchen knife hidden somewhere, then they took the knife and attacked Maizono before she knew what was happening! So she grabbed the sword to defend herself, but then the culprit took that from her, too…! Then, after they broke the wrist with the sword, the took the knife and… Finished it…"

Kirigiri shook her head. "Sorry, but I don't think Maizono used the sword to defend herself." She said.

"Wh-!?" Stammered Leon. "How the hell can you not think that?!"

"Because she never held the sword at all." She explained. "There's a certain part of her body that makes this clear."

The part of her body that shows she never used the sword… That would be…

"Her palms, right?" I asked. "The palms of her hands were perfectly clean, so I don't think she ever picked up the sword…"

"How can you know that just by looking at her palms…?" Asked Asahina in disbelief.

"Like I said before, the gold coating on that sword comes right off." I explained. "All you have to do is touch it."

I then pulled out my e-Handbook again and pointed to the handle on the picture of sword. "In fact, if you look…" I continued. "You'll notice that a lot of gold has already come off the handle. It's safe to assume that's because whoever used the sword got some of it on their hands. There's really no way she could have picked it up and come away completely clean."

"Maybe she w-washed her hands after she e-escaped into the bathroom…" Assumed Fukawa.

"Sorry, but I don't think so." I said as I shook my head.

"Why d-do you say that?" She asked in frustration. "Is it b-because you think I'm u-ugly…?"

"N-No, that's not it at all!" I stammered before continuing. "According to the Monokuma file, Maizono's time of death was around 1:30 AM. In other words, at "Nighttime". And the water in the bathrooms shuts off at nighttime, right?"

"Oh… I didn't know that." Fukawa said in defeat. "Actually… I haven't taken a shower here yet…"

"Oh my…" Said Yamada. Blushing.

Fukawa didn't like that at all. "Y-You're no different!" She exclaimed. "You s-smell like a big f-fat ugly donkey!"

"Hmm?" Questioned Yamada. "I'm not sure whether to take that as an insult or a compliment!"

"An, insult, obviously…" Sighed Leon.

Ishimaru cleared his throat to gain our attention. "…So anyway, if Maizono never touched the sword, then that means that the killer is the only one who used the sword. But hold on. If that's right, then the one who damaged the sheath with the kitchen knife was…"

He trailed off, but I had a pretty good idea as to who it was.

"Maizono…?" I asked in disbelief. " _She_ had the kitchen knife…?"

"But…" Stammered Chihiro. "We already said that the attack started with-"

Togami cut her off. "The person with the knife attacked first, and the sword was used as an impromptu defense."

"Then the one who attacked first was…!" Began Yamada.

"…M-Maizono!?" I exclaimed in utter shock. If that's true, then that means…!

"Now do you understand?" Asked Kirigiri to no one in particular. "She wasn't a blameless victim in this."

"No, far from it." Smirked Togami. "It's almost as if she had been planning to commit a murder of her own."

"What…?" I stammered still in shock that she would do something like that.

"She took the knife from the kitchen, then invited the culprit to the room she was staying in." He continued. "And if it's true that she had the kitchen knife and attacked without provocation…"

"Indeed." Mused Sakura. "These are all the sings of an assailant."

"Which brings up another point…" Began Celeste as she looked at me. "Naegi, Maizono was the one who suggested you two switched rooms, correct? Maybe the reason she wanted to switch rooms…"

What she said next put me into a state of shock.

"…Was so that she could pin the crime on you. That is a possibility, is it not?"

"Maizono wanted to…" I stammered. "On me?!"

"That would also explain why she would switch the nameplates." She continued. "She wanted to get whoever she had targeted to come to Naegi's room, where she was staying… And by committing the murder there, instead of her room, that would implicate Naegi. But for that to work, the target had to be lured out while she was keeping the room swap a secret. If the target knew she had switched rooms, they would have become suspicious right away."

"So all that's why she switched the names…?" Asked Mondo.

"But doesn't that plan seem a little risky?" Asked Yamada. "For one thing, even if her plan worked, Mr. Makoto would just tell everyone they'd switched rooms."

"I don't know…" Disagreed Togami. "I'm not sure if our soft-hearted Naegi is capable of that kind of cutthroat behavior. I'm sure Maizono realized the same thing, which is why out of all of us, she asked him to switch rooms."

"P-Plus…" Began Fukawa. "She _was_ the Ultimate Pop Sensation… A t-toally forgettable kid, o-or a national superstar…" Who are you m-more likely to believe?"

I was completely silent. Was she really going to place the blame on me? My own assistant? I felt like giving up at that point. This was all too much to handle…


	33. Day 5 Part 14: The First Trial (Part 6)

**Hey, everyone! Short chapter today, but I promise it's important! Let's find out who killed Maizono…**

* * *

"Wait, then…" Began Yamada. "You're saying that she had this all planned out…?"

"Holy shit!" Exclaimed Mondo.

"But in the end, her plan backfired." Said Celeste. "She launched her attack with the knife, then found herself under attack in turn. That must be when her wrist got broken, and she was forced to drop the knife."

"The tables were suddenly turned on her, and she died at the hands of the one she'd planned to murder…" Mused Sakura.

"J-Just hold on!" I exclaimed. Still not believing all of this. "That can't be true! Because…! Because…"

Monokuma gained all our attention. "Hey, hey!" He called. "You guys have totally derailed the argument! You're being super boring right now! Come on, hurry up and decide who did it! Wouldn't it be awful if I had to punish you all just because you ran out of time?"

"Oh yeah…" Sighed an embarrassed Hagakure. "We gotta decide who we think did it…"

I was completely silent. If I didn't do it, who in this room did? Kirigiri noticed my sad expression and spoke to me.

"Naegi, right now you just need to concentrate on figuring out the answer to this mystery." She said. "If we can't uncover who murdered Maizono, it's over for all of us…"

Is… Is it really all over? Obviously I'm committed to finding out who killed her but what can I do? I mean, as far as clues go, there's nothing left…

Leon's voice snapped me out of it. It's easy just to say "Hey, decide who did it!", but there just aren't any more clues, right?

That got me thinking. If Leon also saw her body, that would mean he would see one piece of detail that I noticed. I never thought of it before, but I guess it would come handy now…

"Hold on, Leon." I interrupted. "What did you just say?"

"Uh…" Stammered Leon. "There's no clues left?"

"That's where you're wrong." I began. "There still might be one clue left; Maizono's dying message."

"Dining-wait, what did you say?" He asked.

"The dying message." Repeated Kirigiri. "She wrote something on the wall behind her, remember?"

She then pulled out her e-Handbook and showed everyone the picture of Maizono's number message. "11037, written in her own blood. There might be a clue about the killer hidden in there…"

"Well, before we get too far into that, I need to ask…" Began Celeste. "Can we really be sure that Maizono was the one who wrote it?"

"There's no question that Maizono wrote that message." I said. "And I can prove it…"

"Hm?" Questioned Celeste as she tilted her head curiously. "And what makes you say that?"

I took out my e-Handbook again and showed everyone Maizono's left index finger. "See? Her left index finger has blood on it." I explained. "That could only be because that she used that finger to write the message."

"I see…" Pondered Ishimaru. "She broke her right wrist during the fight, and she'd have to use her left hand to write…"

"Sure, I think we can all agree Maizono wrote it, but still, what the heck do those numbers mean?" Asked Asahina. "11037?"

"Hey Chihiro, you're a computer nerd or whatever, right?" Asked Mondo. "You should know all about numbers and shit!"

"N-No, that's not…" Began Chihiro before sighing in defeat. "Yes, I'm a programmer, but I don't see any kind of meaning in these numbers."

"…Of course." Kirigiri spoke up. "It's because they're not numbers."

"Oh!" Gasped Yamada. "Yeah, it looks like…"

"Huh?" Asked Mondo. "What? What?!"

"No, it's just…" Sweated Yamada. "Look at the numbers assuming they're _not_ numbers."

He pulled out his e-Handbook and pointed to the 11. "Don't these first two, 11, look less like two numbers and more like one letter?" He continued.

"Ah, you're right!" Realized Chihiro. "The connecting line is barely there, so I assumed it was 11, but looking at it now, you could also read it as an N!"

"Whoa!" Said Mondo in amusement. "You might've finally just said something worth a shit!"

"Bwehehe!" Laughed Yamada. "Our little grey cells are really getting excited now!"

"But even if that really _is_ an N, "N037" doesn't make any more sense than before…" Said Sakura.

Dammit! It's no use! I just don't know…!

"Rotate the image 180 degrees." Kirigiri said suddenly.

Huh? Rotate it?

I did as I was told and rotated the picture upside-down. I… I think maybe… Maybe I see something…

"Oh my God… Now I see!" I exclaimed. "She wrote down the killer's name!"

"Huh!?" Exclaimed Asahina. "You just shot past the clue part and right on to who did it!"

"So, wh-whose name did sh-she write…?" Asked Fukawa.

"The key to solving this mystery was simply to rotate the writing 180 degrees." I began. "I fyou turn the message around, becomes the letters belonging to a name whom I think we're all familiar with…"

"W-Well?" Growled Fukawa. "Don't keep us w-waiting!"

"Yeah, Naegi!" Agreed a frustrated Mondo. "Who the hell did it?!"

Without a second thought, I pointed to the one person who was sweating ever so slightly, but I knew they were the one…

"Leon Kuwata!"


	34. Day 5 Part 15: The First Trial (Part 7)

"Wh-!?" Leon gasped. "What the hell are you talking about?! I-It's just a coincidence! It's just a bunch of random squiggles that happen to look like my name!"

"No, it's not random at all." Began Kirigiri. "She wrote that message on the wall behind her as she was leaning up against it. In that position, she couldn't move to write normally, and had to write upside down, as it were. And as a result, when you look at it standing in front of her, it ends up getting flipped. Try it for yourself if you want. Write something sitting like her, and the letters will be inverted."

"Th-That sounds like one hell of a stretch to me…!" Stammered Leon before getting angry. " _I'm_ the killer?! You can't just go and say shit like that!"

"If you're not the killer, then why did you try to destroy the evidence?" Kirigiri asked suddenly.

"…Huh?" Gasped Leon. Kirigiri turned to face me again.

"You know what I'm talking about, right Naegi?" She asked me. "The evidence tried to get rid of?"

The evidence Leon tried to get rid of? It's that thing I found on the ground in front of the incinerator…

"You mean the burnt shirt piece I found laying on the ground by the incinerator, right?" I asked as I showed everyone a picture of it on my e-Handbook.

"As the killer stabbed Maizono, they must have gotten some of her blood on them." Kirigiri assumed. "And to dispose of the shirt covered in the victim's blood, they threw it into the incinerator."

"But one piece burned off and got left behind." Added Celeste.

"And the killer didn't notice. If they had, they most certainty would have panicked." Said Kirigiri. "Isn't that right, Leon?"

Leon didn't respond. All he did was stammer. Sakura spoke next.

"But is one scrap of fabric enough to conclude that Leon is guilty?" She asked.

"Yeah…" Agreed Chihiro. "I mean, Leon's not the only one wearing a white button-up…"

"Th-That's right!" Proclaimed Leon. "There are plenty of other people here with shirts like mine! With just that one little charred piece, there's no way you can say for sure who it belongs to!"

"You're right. That alone isn't enough." I said. "But there are some other points that may reveal the truth…"

"…Are you finally starting to understand?" Asked Kirigiri. "The answers to all the riddles are right here."

"Yeah, I think so…" I agreed. "If we look closely at how the shirt was disposed of, we should be able to figure out who the killer is."

"O-Oh, yeah… That's a good point. I think I know what you're gonna say…" Began Leon. "You can't reach the incinerator without opening the gate in front of the trash room, right? And obviously you wouldn't be able to hot to the switch to turn it on, either. You'd need the key to get in. And the one with the key was… The person cleaning duty! So the killer had to be whoever was in charge of taking care of the trash! Right!?"

"Hahaha. Interesting…" Laughed Yamada before he realized that Leon was looking at him sternly. "…Gweh!?"

"Yeah! You have the key to the trash room, don't you, Yamada?" Asked Leon. Yamada began sweating.

"Well… You see…" He stammered nervously.

"Don't bother!" Leon exclaimed. "Whoever was on cleaning duty must've had the key to the trash room, right?"

"So the only one wh-who could get to the in-ncinerator was the p-person in charge of the t-trash?"

"And you'd have to get close to the incinerator in order to destroy the-" Began Leon. I stopped him there.

"Hold on!" I yelled. "I think I know how someone could dispose of the evidence without using the trash room key!"

"But if you can't get past the gate, you couldn't possibly turn on the incinerator, could you?" Asked Sakura. I shook my head.

"Yes, you could. If you used this." I explained as I took out my e-Handbook and revealed the photo of the shattered crystal ball I found.

"What is it, some kinda glass ball?" Asked Mondo. "It's busted to hell…"

"Actually, it was supposed to be a crystal ball." Explained Hagakure nervously. "But, uh…"

"But… How would you use it?" Asked Chihiro.

"The killer simply took aim at the incinerator switch and threw the ball through a gap in the gate." I explained. "All they had to do was hit that switch, and the incinerator would come to life."

"Someone threw that…" Stammered Yamada in shock. "Through a gap in the gate!?"

"Remember what you said before, Yamada?" I asked. "You said that the incinerator wasn't on the last time you were there. You had the key, so the only way the incinerator could have been turned on without his knowledge was because the killer was able to open the switch without opening the gate. Once they gotten the incinerator going, all they had to do was ball up the shirt and toss it in!"

"H-Hey, come on!" Exclaimed Leon. "What the hell is this?"

"All you have to do is look at the scene to know that the killer never actually went into the trash room." Said Kirigiri. "The shards of broken glass, the incinerator left running, the piece of shirt that escaped the fire… If the killer _had_ been on cleaning duty, the evidence would have been taken care of much more thoroughly."

"W-Wait, no!" Leon protested. "Just hold on!"

"But the distance from the gate to the incinerator has to be at least… Thirty feet, right?" Asked Chihiro. "The pinpoint accuracy you'd need to throw a glass ball that far and hit something that small… Could someone really do that?"

"Th-That's right!" Exclaimed Leon. "There's no way! It'd be impossible!"

"Difficult? Absolutely. Impossible? I don't think so." I said. "Because the killer is the Ultimate Baseball Star. Isn't that right, Leon!?"

"D-Do you have any idea how stupid you sound right now!?" He protested.

"A target thirty feet away would surely be a little challenge for the Ultimate Baseball Star." Celeste pointed out.

"Y-Y-Y-You can't be serious!" Stammered Leon. "I…! I…! I'm not the killer! These goddamn shit-for-brains have got it all wrong, I'm telling you!"

"You still won't admit it?" Asked Kirigiri. "Okay then. Naegi, go ahead and review the incident one more time to make his crime perfectly clear. And with that, we can end this…"

"Listen to me!" Exclaimed Leon. "What the hell do you mean, end this?!"

"Say what you want, Leon." I began. "But all the questions have been answered, and the truth has been revealed. Now here's what happened…!"


	35. Day 5 Part 16: The First Trial (Part 8)

I began my explanation. "Last night, the killer went to the room Maizono was in. in other words, my room. From what we can tell, Maizono invited that person there intending to kill them. She attacked them with the knife she'd taken from the kitchen earlier, but then they grabbed the fake sword I'd put in my room, and fought back. During the struggle, a strike from the sword broke Maizono's right wrist, and that's when she lost her grip on the kitchen knife. Finding herself cornered, Maizono panicked and ran into the bathroom. The killer went after her, but couldn't get the bathroom door open. What they didn't know was that my bathroom door got stuck easily, and there was a trick to opening it. Maizono knew about that because I'd told her, but if course the killer had no way of knowing. So instead, the killer forced the door open, took the kitchen knife, and stabbed Maizono. But with what strength she had remaining, she left a dying message. To keep the killer from noticing, she wrote it on the wall behind her. And with that, all her strength was gone. With Maizono dead, the killer began destroying the evidence. First, they took of their shirt, which was covered in the victim's blood. Then they took the lint roller in my room and cleaned up the entire area. They wanted to make sure they got rid of any trace they'd ever been there. Afterwards, the killer headed to the trash room to destroy their bloody shirt. They tried to burn the shirt using the incinerator there. But the trash room was blocked off by an especially sturdy gate, preventing access to the incinerator. So they came up with a plan to use Hagakure's crystal ball, which he'd left in the laundry room. The killer managed to throw the ball through the gap in the gate and hit the incinerator's switch. For any normal person, that'd be an impossible throw, but the killer had the confidence to take a shot. And that's because the killer…"

I then pointed at Leon. "Was the Ultimate Baseball Star!"

"Whoa, hey!" He exclaimed.

"Let him talk, asshole!" Exclaimed Mondo.

"The crystal ball, thrown with absolute precision, hit the switch on the incinerator, which then quickly roared to life." I continued. "The killer then made his shirt into a ball and tossed it into the incinerator. Having destroyed the final piece of evidence, they left the area with, I imagine, a sigh of relief. But there was one thing they missed; part of the shirt they'd thrown into the fire burnt away and fell out of the incinerator. The killer didn't notice this, and so left behind a piece of indisputable evidence. Isn't that right… Leon!?"

"Wha-? I ju-? Huh?!" He stammered.

"It would appear that Hagakure simply forgot his crystal ball in the laundry room." I continued. "You went there to try and wash the blood out of your shirt, and that's where you saw it, right? Seeing the ball, you thought of a way to take care of everything…"

"So, Leon…" Began Kirigiri. "Do you object to anything that's been said?"

"Do I object…?" He asked before getting enraged. "Hell yes, I object! Of course, I do! I object, I object, I object! I mean, all of this is just a bunch of stupid theories! You need evidence! Where's the evidence!? Without evidence, it's all bullshit! It's bullshit and I refuse to acknowledge it!"

"Well then, I guess this is as good a time as any to present the evidence that proves you did it." She replied before turning to me. "Naegi, I believe you're in possession of that evidence?"

"I… Have the evidence?" I asked. Kirigiri nodded

"That's right." She said. "When the killer removed the screws from the doorknob, they didn't use anything from your room to do it. Instead, they must have used something that belonged to them."

They used something of their own to remove the screws…? What could that be…?

Leon shouting suddenly snapped me out of my train of thought. "I refuse to acknowledge any of this bullshit!" He exclaimed. "That's stupid, _you're_ stupid! Stupid stupid stupid! It wasn't even me; you're making all this up! How can all of you be this much of tools?"

Tools?

Tools! That's it!

"That's enough, Leon!" I exclaimed. "The screws on the bathroom door were removed. So the killer had use a tool to do so."

"Oh, yeah." Agreed Hagakure. "I'm pretty sure the toolkits we each got had a screwdriver inside."

"Then _that_ must be what he used!" Gasped Yamada. "There aren't any other tools anywhere."

"But the toolkit in my room had clearly never been used…" I suggested.

"That's because the culprit didn't know it was your room!" Ishimaru pointed out. "They thought they were in Maizono's room!"

"Only the boys got toolkits, so the killer naturally assumed there wouldn't be one in there…" Assumed Chihiro.

"Okay, then whose toolkit did the killer use?" I asked while glaring at Leon.

"H-Hey!" He stammered nervously. "Why are you-?"

"It had to be their very own toolkit!" I exclaimed. "Now, Leon, would you mind showing us your toolkit? If I'm right about this, then the screw driver will show some evidence of being used!"

"You've gotta be…" He began. Togami interrupted him.

"And if you say you used it for something else, you'll have to explain exactly when, where, and why." He said.

"And let me say this right now…" Began Kirigiri. ""I lost it" isn't an excuse at this point."

Leon was absolutely silent. I could only imagine the thoughts racing through his head. 'What should I do?', 'If I grab Naegi's toolkit, they'll know it's not mine.', and the obvious one:

'Crap.'

After a while, Togami spoke up. "So, you have no rebuttal?"

"Then it would seem we are finished here." Said Celeste.

"Upupupupu!" Laughed Monokuma. "Looks like you've reached your verdict! Then are we ready to cast our votes? You all have a lever in front of you. Use it to make your selection! Oh, just to remind you all: Make triple sure you vote for someone! You wouldn't want to be punished for something so minor, right?"

"I believe we're all ready." Said Kirigiri as we all reached for the lever in front of us.

After we've all pulled it (With Leon hesitating a bit), Monokuma laughed evilly.

"Okay! Then let's get excited!" He proclaimed. "Who will be chosen as the blackened? Will you make the right choice, or the dreadfully wrong one? What's it gonna be? What's it gonna beeee!?"

A large monitor over Monokuma's chair showed what looked like a slot machine with our faces on it. The pictures of us slowed down, and eventually stopped on… Leon.

We were right.


	36. Day 5 Part 17: Leon's Punishment

"Uh-oh!" Said Monokuma. "Looks like you got it right on the money! The blackened in this case, the one that killed Maizono…"

He pointed to a flabbergasted Leon. "Was none other than Leon Kuwata!"

"Huh?" He gasped. "H-Hold on a second…"

"Leon…" I began. "Did you really kill Maizono…?"

"I don't believe it…" Trembled Asahina.

"Son of a bitch…!" Mondo said under his breath before yelling at Leon. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"I-I didn't have a choice…" He began. "It was kill or be killed! S-So that's why… I killed her first."

Then he got mad. "None of you are any different! One wrong step, and you'd be the one standing here! It was complete chance that I wound up like this! I was just… Unlucky! That's all…"

"Grr…" Growled Mondo in frustration.

"H-Hey, come on…!" Leon protested nervously. "You expect me to just accept my death!?"

Everything's become clear… The decision we made was right after all. But when I think about that, honestly, I'd be better off if we'd been wrong. Because if what we came up with really is the truth…

Then that truth is that Maizono was trying to frame me…

But, even if _that's_ true…

I can't say she was wrong. After all, the mastermind…

It's all because of that video…

Even _I_ couldn't handle what I saw in there. If I was her, and the video actually had something to do with me, I can't even imagine…

The one thing that was more important to her than anything else; her dreams, her friends… To have something like that happen to them…

And Maizono…

 _"I did whatever it took to reach that dream. I mean it. Even some things that… Weren't so pleasant."_

And that's why Maizono, for the friends that meant so much to her…

That's why she betrayed me.

So, when she said that she needed me on her side, no matter what happens, she was lying to me from the very beginning. She was using me…

Is that why she talked to me in the first place…? I guess I'll never know… Because there's nothing I can do to ask her what she was thinking. Once you're dead, that's that…

Monokuma's voice snapped me out of my troubling thoughts. "Boy howdy!" He laughed. "The entertainment industry must sure be terrifying, huh? I mean, to try and kill someone just because of those relationships! She seemed so lovely on the outside, but inside… She'd descended into pure madness!"

"Wh-What did you say?" I gasped.

"I understand, I really do. Yup yup!" He continued. "You're in utter despair thanks to Maizono's betrayal, right? Compassion, intimacy, love… The stronger those feelings, the stronger the despair when they collapse!"

"Stop screwing with us!" I snapped. "This is all your fault! Maizono being forced to do something like that… All of it… Everything…! It's all your fault!"

Suddenly, in a frenzy, I lunged at Monokuma. But…

"That's enough." Said Kirigiri suddenly as she latched onto my arm without hesitation. Her grip was like iron, strong enough I was sure it would leave a bruise. "If you really want to make her enemies pay for what they've done, you need to let it go for now."

"Damnit!" I cursed. But still, she was right.

"Ahh, that was a close one!" Sighed Monokuma in relief. "I thought for sure you were gonna give me a good walloping! Just barely avoided punishment, you did! Now then! Since you magnificently revealed the identity of the killer during the class trial, the blackened, Leon Kuwata, will receive his punishment!"

"P-Punishment?" Whimpered Leon before screaming. "You mean… E-Execution?! W-Wait a second! I didn't have a choice! I HAD to kill her! Y-Yeah, that's it! I was just protecting myself in the heat of the moment! It was self-defence!"

"How, exactly, was it self-defence?" Asked Celeste. "When you forced your way into the bathroom, did you or did you not use your very own toolkit? After she'd shut herself in the bathroom, you went out of your way to head back to your own room, came all the way back, broke into the bathroom, and killed her. Am I wrong? You had any number of chances to stop what you were doing, but you chose not to. Is it not because you had an unclouded intent yo commit murder?"

"N-No! That's not-!" He protested. I interrupted him.

"Sop it…" I began. "I've had enough of this."

"Oh? Are you sure? You were closer to her than anyone, were you not?" Questioned Celeste. "He killed your precious Maizono. Do you understand?"

"I can't say Leon is solely to blame." I began. "Of course, I don't plan on blaming Maizono, either. Because the one to blame… Is him!"

I pointed angrily at Monokuma. He coked his head in confusion. "S'waaah!?"

"If it weren't for you, this never would've happened to Maizono, _or_ Leon! We shouldn't be fighting each other; we should be fighting against the one who put us in this situation! The mastermind!"

"Uh-oh! Did you awaken to your sense of justice!?" He said ominously. "Well, it just so happens that there's nothing more unethical than an unwavering sense of justice. After all, it's people with that sort of mentality that perpetuate war all over the world. Is that the kind of justice that's awakened within you?!"

"Just… Shut up!" I yelled.

"Okay, well, anyway. More importantly…" He began as he turned to face Leon. "Let's hurry up and get to what everyone's been waiting for! The punishment!"

"I'm begging you…!" Pleaded Leon. "Please, don't do this!"

"No more begging! No more excuses! You must pay the penalty for breaking the rules! Society demands it!"

"S-Stop, please!" Begged Leon. Monokuma ignored him and kept talking.

"Now then, I've prepared a very special punishemt for Leon Kuwata, the Ultimate Baseball Star! Let's give it everything we've got! It's… PUNISHMENT TIIIME!"

"NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Screamed Leon, but it was too late.

A large red button came up from the floor and in front of Monokuma's chair. He slammed his small gavel on it, and text appeared on the large monitor above him that read:

'GAME OVER. LEON HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY. TIME FOR THE PUNISHMENT! '

At first, we were all waiting as Leon looked around frantically at everyone's faces. Before anyone had a chance to blink, a large claw came out of nowhere and grabbed Leon by the neck. He reached out for someone, anyone to help him, and deep down, I wanted to. Suddenly, he was pulled back with him screaming in fear. From the monitor, we could see that he was pulled down a long hallway, and eventually, up against a metal pole. The lights turned on, and it was revealed that he was in a batting cage in a makeshift baseball stadium.

As Leon frantically tried to pull himself out, a large baseball canon came up from a hole in the floor. Monokuma appeared wearing a baseball cap, and began swinging around a baseball bat frantically as the cannon began firing baseballs at Leon. As each one hit, Leon was screaming in pain. As it circled around him, Leon was screaming more and more. One of the baseballs rolled towards us, and it had a small amount of blood on it. When the cannon was out of baseballs, Leon's body flopped. Motionless.

Leon Kuwata is dead.


	37. Day 5 Part 18: The Aftermath

What we saw…

That was the true face of despair.

I mean, if we can't call it that, what else could we call it?

"Wooohooo!" Monokuma cheered as he jumped up and down in excitement. "That was extreme! Man, my adrenaline is pumping right outta control!"

"Uwah…! Uwaaaaaahhh!" Screamed Yamada.

"Wh-Wh-What's going o-on!?" Panicked Fukawa.

"I-I can't take this anymore…!" Whimpered Chihiro. "Do we really have to keep doing this? I just can't take it!"

Monokuma spoke next. Saying something I hoped I would never hear again:

"Well hey, if you don't like it, all you gotta do is swear to cut ties with the outside world and accept living here forever! But that's only if every single one of you can get onboard with that. Upupupu…"

Monokuma began laughing manically. Mondo grunted in frustration.

"Man, fuck you…" He said. "Why the fuck are you doing all this evil shit to us?!"

"Evil!?" Exclaimed Monokuma. "You make it sound like I'm some dark, awful, secret society type of guy! Or in this case, a dark, awful, secret society type of BEAR!"

"Um, so why are you putting an upstanding citizen like me through such a grueling ordeal?" Asked Yamada.

"It seems like you're trying to use common sense to make sense of something that doesn't make sense!" Laughed Monokuma. "That's like trying to put a mile on a scale! I just don't think it's possible…"

"Hey, uh, I don't think what you're saying and white I'm saying quite fit together." Explained Yamada sheepishly.

"You piece of shit!" Mondo yelled at Monokuma. "I don't know who you are, but I'm gonna pound your ass into the ground!"

"Upupu. You must really hate me to get so angry, huh?" He asked with a short laugh. "But if you do that, you're barking waaay up the wrong tree. What happened, happened because more than one of you decided you wanted to get out, right? No matter how much time passes, you can't cut free of your regrets from the outside world. _You're_ to blame!"

"Of course, we can't cut f-free of the outside world!" Exclaimed Fukawa. "Being trapped in this insane p-place…!"

"Hmmm… You're trapped, are you?" Began Monokuma. "Well, once you learn the all the mysteries of this school, your thinking will change for sure. You'll think, "Boy, isn't it so wonderful how we all get to live here forever?"!"

"What are you trying to say…?" Asked Ishimaru.

"I feel like there's some deeper meaning hidden in there…" Suggested Kirigiri before turning to Monokuma. "Monokuma, before Leon's execution, you said "The moment everyone's been waiting for". Who exactly are you talking about?"

"Sorry, I said everything I've got to say!" He chuckled. "I need to save some of the fun for later! Oh, I almost forgot! Since the class trial is over, I'll go ahead and dispose of all the corpses! It's okay, no need to thank me! Just seeing your delighted, smiling faces is thanks enough for me! After all, nobody wants to look at a rotting corpse every day! That _can't_ be good for your health!"

After laughing, Monokuma dove behind his chair, and just like that, he was gone. He left us there, overwhelmed by a nightmare turned reality.

Even after he was gone, we stood there forever, unable to move. Actually, no… It wasn't that long, I think. Everyone just lost their sense of time. We were all too scared of many things…

Including being alone…

For a while, no one even tried to speak. Their faces were stone, their voices dead. But it was in that moment that Kirigiri waved me over.

"Naegi." She began. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

As soon as I was close enough, she whispered into my ear.

"Before we head back, there's something I want to talk to you about." She said.

"It's about Maizono, isn't it?" I sighed.

"I'm surprised you figured it out." She began. "I told you, before the class trial started, that you had to figure out the mystery of this case for yourself."

"You wanted me to realize how Maizono betrayed me by myself, didn't you?" I asked. "The thought never even crossed my mind. I feel like such a fool, becoming such an easy target like that…"

"Maizono meant to double-cross you. That's a fact that can never change." She explained. "But even till the very end, she wasn't sure of her decision. That's why, as she lay dying, she was thinking of you."

I gasped. "She was thinking of me?" I repeated in shock. Kirigiri nodded. "You can't just say something like that. I mean, there's no way you can know that. Only Maizono would know for sure, and we can't ask her now…"

"Even if you can't ask her, you can infer it, don't you think?" She asked suddenly. "Her final thought was how she could protect you."

"What…?" I gasped again.

"The fact that she used her last ounce of energy to leave her dying message proves it." She continued. "If she didn't care what happened to you, she never would've left that message."

"Well…" I began. Thinking that after framing me, she could care less. "Maybe she just wanted to get back at the person who killed her."

"That's certainly one possibility, but I don't think that's what it was." She added. "She was… Uncertain. She wasn't sure she could kill someone, or deceive you, which is why her plan failed. Her hesitation attracted failure."

She then chuckled slightly. "It's almost ironic when you think about it."

"Why are you telling me all this?" I asked skeptically.

Kirigiri was hesitant, but gave her answer. "Because you're the kind of person who can overcome this." She began. "Because you can move past the deaths of your friends, Maizono _and_ Leon, and keep moving forward. Without someone like that, the others would never be able to break free of such a desperate situation."

"Move past their deaths?" I repeated. "That's… I could never do that."

Kirigiri looked at me in such a way that made me continue. "I'm going to carry them with me the rest of my life. How could I possibly "Move past" something like that? Leon… Maizono… I'll carry them with me forever. I'll carry their memories with me wherever I go!"

It was a while before Kirigiri spoke again. "So, instead of forgetting them, you're choosing the hard road. Well, I have high expectations for you."

As she said that, she revealed the smallest smile, but them she turned serious again.

"By the way, I have to admit, I'm curious…" She began. "How did you know I wanted to talk to you about Maizono?"

"Oh, well…" I began. Looking forward to her reaction. "I'm psychic."

"Huh…?" She gasped. I chuckled slightly.

"Kidding… I just have a pretty good intuition." I joked. Paying a tribute to my fallen friend.

"Hey, assholes!" Yelled Mondo. "Get on the damn elevator already!"

"Coming!" Called Kirigiri before turning her attention back to me. "Come on, it must be Nighttime by now."

After grabbing my hand, we walked towards the elevator to join up with the others.

* * *

When I got back up to my room, I gasped in shock at what I saw. Or rather…

What I didn't see.

My room was all of a sudden clean as a whistle. As if a murder had never happened. Panicked, I rushed to the bathroom and peaked in.

Maizono wasn't there.

She… She really is gone. It's almost like there was never anything to begin with. Every last sign of Maizono's existence had disappeared without a trace… Like Monokuma said.

I didn't even have time to mourn Maizono and Junko's deaths… I'm sure that's exactly why he did it.

It's a bad joke, a sickening dream, but I have to accept the reality of it all…

I headed back to the dining hall to meet up with the others.


	38. Day 5 Part 19: The Third Meeting

"Sorry I'm late…" I said sadly as I entered the dining hall. Noticing my tone, Asahina walked up to me.

"Hey…" She said. "Are you okay, Naegi?"

Ishimaru stormed up to me next. "You sure to took your sweet time!" He angrily exclaimed. "I was just about to go get you and drag you back here!"

"S-Sorry…" I apologized.

"So? What happened?" He asked. "Was your room fixed up like he said? I imagine it would be pretty hard to sleep with a rotting corpse in your bathroom!"

"Jesus, that's fucked up, man." Said Mondo. "Why would you say something like that?"

"My room was… Spotless." I spoke up. "There wasn't anything left. Like the whole thing never happened."

"It must be tough staying there, knowing what happened." Mused Sakura. "Why don't you just stay in Maizono's room?"

"Well…" I began. Not knowing how to word it. "Staying there, with her scent still hanging in the air… That would hurt just as much. Plus, I've decided that I can't turn away from her death…"

Sakura raised an eyebrow as Asahina put her hand on my shoulder.

"N-Naegi…" She began. "Hey, cheer up! Getting depressed isn't gonna help anything, right? If we all work together, I'm sure we'll find a way out of here! So everyone, just… Just try and cheer up and get back on track!"

"Is that honestly supposed to make us feel better?" Togami asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Gasped Asahina.

"We were already "Working together", and yet, someone was still murdered. Anyone could betray us at this point." He explained. "Now that it's happened once, it's a question of when, not if, the next one takes place."

"Y-Yeah, because M-Maizono made the first move…" Fukawa began angrily. Asahina nervously cut her off.

"B-But…" She began. "If we work together against the mastermind, nobody'll have any reason to do something like that!"

"Keep telling yourself that." Togami sighed. "I'll be over here in the real world. Working together, fighting a common enemy… Like it or not, it's not that simple."

"…What do you mean?" Asked Yamada.

"The mastermind seems to me much more powerful than we ever suspected." Assumed Celeste. "They took over Hope's Peak, which was supposed to be well defended, then modified it to fit their desire. They created Monokuma, which seems to be incredibly advanced, and they're providing for our every need. And the cherry on top was the execution we witnessed. Everything has been planned down to the last excruciating detail. This is not the work of your everyday psychopath. Defying them may be too great of a risk…"

"Then…" Began Sakura. "What are we supposed to do?"

"Anyone who truly _does_ want to escape will have to fallow the rules." Said Togami. "In which case, the only option is to deceive those around you, and win the game."

"N-No…" Sobbed Chihiro.

"No what?" Asked Togami. Agitated.

"I don't want to live… If it means killing someone else to do it." She shakenly explained. "I don't want to kill anyone else…!"

"Anyone… Else?" Asked Hagakure. "What do you mean?"

"Lean died because we all voted for him, right?" She asked. "It's no different from us killing him ourselves!"

"B-But…" Stammered Hagakure. Trying to find the right words.

"If we hadn't voted for him, then we all woulda died instead, right?" Asked Asahina. "That isn't what you wanted, isn't it…?"

Chihiro was silent, but nodded in response. "She's right." Said Yamada. "If you heap that kind of blame on yourself, you'll turn into a full-fledged masochist."

Having enough of this banter, I approached the programmer. "Chihiro, listen." I began. "You're not to blame. Not you, not Leon, and not Maizono. The mastermind is responsible for everything that's happened. We had no choice but to vote. I can't even imagine what would've happened to all of us if we'd refused… And in the end, it was Monokuma who ultimately killed Leon…! So, don't waste your anger on yourself… Instead, direct it at the mastermind!"

Just when Chihiro was about to give her response, that damn sound played.

 **Ding dong, bing bong!**

The monitor in the dining hall then turned on. Revealing Monokuma.

"Ahem." He cleaned his throat. "This is a school announcement. It is now 10 PM. As suck, it is officially nighttime. Soon the doors to the dining hall will be locked, and all entry at that point is strictly prohibited."

If it had ended right there, it would've been normal. But this was anything but.

"Oh, and one other thing…" He continued. "It was totally obvious before that you were trying to make yourselves feel better and justify what you did. See you, see you, don't see you, see you! That's about how much I can see you, even when you try t hide! Now pay attention and remember this well!"

His next words haunted me, and I assumed the others.

"The burden of judging others is a heavy one to bear. So be well aware of your actions! Order and stability rely on the sacrifice and responsibility of everyone! Okay then… Sweet dreams, everyone! Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite…"

After that, the monitor turned back off.

"What w-was that about just n-now…?" Worried Fukawa.

"Was he saying it's our fault what happened?" Asked Hagakure. Disbelieved. "That's pretty cruel, man…"

"That piece of shit!" Yelled Mondo. "Who does he think he is?!"

* * *

I walked back into my dorm room and laid down in my bed. The day drew to a close…

A tense, maddening day that saw the deaths of three classmates; Maizono, Junko, and Leon…

But… This is just the beginning…

Our despair has only just begun…!

As I dozed off, I couldn't help but think about how horrible Maizono's last moments were…

* * *

 **Flashback. Maizono Sayaka's P.O.V.**

I screamed in pain as Leon stabbed me in the abdomen. I tumbled down to the back of the shower and tried to pull it back out, but it was no use. I could see Leon's panicked look on his face. He kept repeating the word "Shit!" over and over again.

I then thought of Naegi, Kirigiri, and especially, the rest of my group. Using my last ounce of strength, I wrote Leon's name behind me in my own blood. The last thing I saw was Leon calming down as it all went black.

At first, I couldn't move, nor see anything. Was this really what dying is like? Nothing for eternity? But then I saw light, I tried to move something, call for someone, anything to help me. Nothing. Eventually, the light faded.

And then… My eyes opened.

* * *

 **A/N: Say whaaa?! What happened here? Sadly, we'll have to move on from this, but it'll all be revealed in due time.**

 **I would also like to take this moment to say thank you to everyone who reviewed, fallowed, and favorited this story! It means a lot to me! Well, until next time! Upupupu…**


	39. Day 6 Part 1: Floor 2 (Part 1)

**Present. Naegi Makoto's P.O.V.**

I woke up the next day to Monokuma's normal morning announcement. Then he called us all to the gym.

"What's he gonna do to us this time…?" I asked myself.

We were particularly frozen with fear. But Monokuma was determined to get us involved in his little game…

* * *

"Okay! Life your arms up, and down!" Instructed Monokuma. "One, two, three, four!"

"One, two, three four!" Repeated Ishimaru. As he mirrored the same movements.

"Now reach waaay up, and bend waaay down! Tighten those muscles! Let's add a little strength, a little speed to those young bodies of yours!"

I sighed to myself. How was he teaching P.E after what we just went through?

"Ahh, doesn't this feel just great!?" He asked to no one in particular. "Being stuck inside like this, you gotta make sure to stay healthy!"

"You're the o-one keeping us "Stuck inside"…" Muttered Fukawa.

"Don't sweat the small stuff! That's my motto!" He laughed. "Whoa, I sounded pretty cool just now, don'tcha think? Did you just fall in love with me? Am I to die for? Am I just to die in writing agony for?"

"So, why did you call us here?" Asked Sakura. Slightly frustrated. "Certainty it wasn't just to make us exercise…"

""Just" to make you exercise?" Monokuma asked. Clearly agitated. " _JUST_ to make you exercise?! If exercise makes you laugh, exercise will make you cry! Now, if you keep doing those exercises, you will uncover the secret of the Assassin's Fist! Passed down from generation to generation in the empire of darkness… The power can be yours!"

"That sounds like the kind of junk a middle schooler would come up with…" Yamada said under his breath.

"It doesn't matter!" I exclaimed. "Just get to the point. Did you really call us down here just to exercise?"

"Of course not!" Growled Monokuma. "You think I have that kind of free time on my hands!?"

"Okay, so then-" I began. Monokuma cut me off.

"Ahh, I'd like to make an announcement!" He said. "Every time you overcome a class trial here at Hope's Peak, a whole new world will open up to you!"

"A whole new world…?" Repeated Hagakure in disbelief.

"It'd really suck if you had to live here forever with nothing new to stimulate you!" He continued. "Besides, I know how you kids get these days with your ADD and ADHD. I gotta keep you motivated! So go ahead, look around all you want! Enjoy the brave new post-trial world till you explode!"

With that, Monokuma disappeared. Leaving us even more confused than when he'd shown up.

"A new world…?" I asked myself.

"Is he talking about… A way to get outside?" Asked Asahina.

"That seems… Unlikely." Assumed Celeste.

"Well we don't know till we look!" Complained Mondo.

"Whatever he meant; it seems we'll have to search the school one more time." Said Sakura.

"Okay, then let's split up and start investigating!" Ishimaru proclaimed. "When you're done, everyone meet back up at the dining hall and we'll share what we found!"

"You're basically a one-trick pony, you know that?" Smirked Togami.

"More like a staple food source!" He replied. "Now let's get moving!"

Seeing his words as their signal, everyone scattered and left the gym. Sighing, I left as well.

* * *

I walked out of the gymnasium and into the trophy room. Only to find Hagakure looking at the display case. When he noticed me, he motioned for me to come over.

"Hey, Naegi!" He called. "Did you see what's inside the display case!? Bad… This is super bad, man!"

"What are you talking about?" I asked. "I didn't notice anything all that weird in there…"

"Sure, to the untrained eye, it's nothing. But this is awful… A bad, awful, terrible trap!" He panicked. "That stuff you see lined up there? Any god could come by and use it to send a message!"

"Huh…?" I questioned confusedly.

"Ahhh!" He screamed. "I've been struck with knowledge! It's an ill omen of total devastation and ruin!"

He then got onto his knees and began praying. "L-Let me outta here! Let me ouuuut!"

I have no idea what he's talking about, so… Maybe I'll just leave him alone.

* * *

When I exited the trophy room, I noticed that the stairs leading up were now unblocked. Is this what Monokuma meant by "A new world"? If so, what's up there?

Curiosity got the better of me as I began climbing.

* * *

Here it was; the 2nd floor of the school. It didn't look that much different than the first floor, but I had a sneaking suspicion that there's some kind of clue here…

Just then, I heard footsteps fast approaching I turned and gasped, but it was only Asahina looking extremely excited. "Naegi, guess what!" She began. "Guess what I found! A pool! There's a pool here! A POOL! Pool pool pool!"

"Where?" I asked. Asahina pointed to a set of light purple doors with an anchor on the left one, and without a chance for me to object, she dragged me off towards the pool.

* * *

"Here we are!" She proclaimed as we entered. Chihiro and Celeste were also there. "Also, there's a ton of exercise equipment in the locker room! Sakura's gonna go nuts when she finds out!"

"Yeah, you're right about that…" I answered. She seems way more excited than usual, but that's to be expected when she's the Ultimate Swimming Pro.

"N-Naegi?" A small voice called. I turned, at it came from Chihiro. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Sure. What'd you want to talk about?" I asked.

"U-Um…" She began nervously. "If I'm honest, I don't wanna check out the pool…"

"Huh? Why?"

"I… Don't like wearing swimsuits." She shyly explained.

I nodded understandingly. After all, she does seem like the type who might not be into that kind of thing.

"But still…" She continued. "It sounds like the locker rooms here have all the exercise equipment you could ask for. Maybe I'll give it a try. I'd kind of like to get a little stronger…"

"You want to get stronger?" I repeated. "I have to say, that's kind of unexpected…"

"But…" Chihiro began. "I'm not even brave enough to step foot into the locker room…"

"Huh? You don't even wanna go in the locker room?"

"It's not that I don't want to. It's just…" Chihiro trailed off. I don't get it. Is she afraid of locker rooms or something? That's a pretty weird phobia, though…

"Oh!" Gasped Asahina. "I almost forgot; we might need our handbooks to get into the locker rooms!"

"Really?" I asked.

"Really really!" Replied a voice I've been dreading since this whole thing began.

"Uwaah!" Screamed Asahina in fright.

"If you wanna unlocker the locker room, you'll have to swipe your personal e-Handbook across the card reader next to the door." Explained Monokuma. "However, to ensure maximum security within each locker room, only a boy's handbook can open the boys' locker room, and the same goes for the girls'! And that's the bottom line!"

"But what if someone opens the door, and then someone else sneaks in?" Asked Asahina.

"Anyone who commits such indecency will be punished without mercy for their scandalous sexual depravity!" He growled. And then he pointed to a troubling sight that almost made me faint:

On the ceiling, aimed towards the doors to the locker rooms, was Gatling gun!

"See that?" Continued Monokuma. "If you try and do such a thing, it'll be all DUKKA DUKKA DUKKA DUKKA!"

"I bet it'd really hurt to get shot by that thing!" Gasped Asahina.

"Um, no…" Worried Chihiro. "I think it'd be a _little_ worse than that…"

"But what happens if someone loans their handbook to someone else?" Asked Celeste. "A boy could borrow a girl's handbook, and that would get them into the girls' locker room, would it not?"

"Wh-!?" Stammered Monokuma. "That never even occurred to me! To think someone could be so low, so cowardly, so devilish! Hmm… Okay, then how's this sound? Time for a new rule! As of this moment, loaning your e-Handbook to another student is strictly prohibited. There! So now nobody can give their handbook to anyone else, right? You like that? I'm kind of a genius, right? It's cuz my brain is 100% cotton!"

"I do not imagine that anyone would have lent their handbook out in the first place." Assumed Celeste. "After all, they would likely be held responsible for anything that person might do using the handbook…"

"But ya know, you seem awfully concerned with all this locker room security stuff…" Stated Asahina.

Monokuma didn't like that one bit. "It's cuz all you teenagers are sex-crazed maniacs!" He exclaimed. "You're at that age you'd try humping a plastic bottle! So, to keep anything unseemly from happening, I have to maintain a rigorous watch!"

"Then in that case, I would ask that you keep the same close eye on our dorms." Said Celeste. "If some man and some woman decided to share a room, there would be nothing stopping them."

"All I care about is protecting the holy image of the school itself!" He explained. "I don't care what happens in your private dorms! By force or by cunning, do whatever you want!"

"I hate you so much…" Asahina complained under her breath.

"Okay so the new regulation is now in place! See ya!" He said before disappearing again.

* * *

 **A/N: Phew! Almost 1600 words! I so need a break!**


	40. Day 6 Part 2: Floor 2 (Part 2)

"Maaan, that stupid bear ruined my mood!" Sighed Asahina. "Maybe I'll go take a dip to cheer myself up. Celeste, Chihiro, you wanna come with me?"

"There is nothing I hate more than getting water on my face." Said Celeste.

"Sorry… I'll pass this time." Said Chihiro.

"How come?" Asked Asahina in shock. "When you're in a funk, there's nothing better than a good swim to pull you out of it!"

'I'm pretty sure that only applies to you…' I thought.

"U-Uh…" I spoke up. "If it makes you feel any better, Asahina, I'll go in with you."

Asahina gasped. "You mean it?" She asked excitedly.

"Of course! Besides, I want to see if-" I began to explain, but without another word, Asahina suddenly hugged me tightly.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" She squealed as she let me go. "I'll go get changed! Meet you there!"

Afterwards, she eagerly ran towards the girls' locker room door, unlocked it with her e-Handbook, and went inside. Sighing, I entered the boys' locker room.

* * *

As I entered, I noticed how it looked. The walls were blue, there were chin-up racks and a punching bag in there as well as some weights, and next to the racks was a poster of a beautiful woman in a bikini. Obviously, someone put this in the school, but… Is it really okay to have something like that here?

"Naegi?" I heard Asahina call. "Where are you?"

"C-Coming, Asahina!" I called back. Not wanting to keep her waiting, I walked into the pool room.

* * *

Almost immediately, I was hit with the scent of chlorine which I assumed was from the pool. I saw Asahina checking out a locker on the far side of the room. Curious, I walked over to her. She was wearing a blue swimsuit as opposed to the clothing she wore when this whole fiasco started.

"Oh!" She said as she noticed me. "Hey, Naegi!"

"What are you doing, Asahina?" I asked.

"Looking for the whistle, duh!" She snarked.

"The… Whistle?" I repeated.

"Yeah! Y'know how some pools have lifeguards with those whistles around their necks?" She began. "Since no one besides Ishimaru wants us to be safe while we're here, I thought I'd do us a favor and become a lifeguard here!"

"That's, uh… Great!" I said. Asahina smiled and went back to looking for the "Whistle". I decided to leave her alone and go explore the rest of the 2nd floor.

* * *

I came across a fancy-looking sliding door with a sign next to it reading "Library". At first, I thought nothing of it, but as soon as I heard movement in there, I went in. I saw that Kirigiri, Yamada, Togami, and Fukawa were there as well.

"It's remarkably dusty in here. And the lighting is less than ideal." Said Kirigiri. For a library, it's not the kind of thing I'd want to do much reading in."

"Well, that's to be expected in a place like-" I began. Yamada's voice cut me off.

"I'm absolutely shocked!" He exclaimed.

"…How come?" I asked.

"They have all thee books here, and not _one_ copy of _any_ of my works!" He growled.

"W-Well, yeah…" Fukawa spoke up nervously. "Why would they have c-comics in a library? Plus, most "Fanfic" is j-just porn drawn by a bunch of a-amateurs…"

"You just don't get it." Yamada fumed. "Not. At. All."

"I-I do too get it… And w-with a face like yours, anyone can tell n-nothing you do is worthwhile."

"Say whatever you want about me, but never judge a book by its author!" He argued. "Now hear this! Appearances mean nothing at all! What you see before you is nothing more than the rind that contains the meaty pulp of my genius! My creations are what determine my meaning and value!"

"You're so f-full of it…" Fukawa muttered.

"Hmph. I'm used to being misunderstood." Yamada continued. "You think weak attacks like yours will drop my HP?"

Those two… Really worry me.

"…But still, this library is most interesting…" Said Togami.

"Huh? What's interesting about it?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing… I was just thinking out loud."

"Riiight…" Was all I said before I walked up to Fukawa. "You must be pretty happy to have all these books around, huh Fukawa?"

"N-Not particularly…" She stammered. "Nothing's really c-caught my eye so far."

"Indeed." Agreed Yamada. "There's a plethora of books, it's true, but the content seems… Lacking."

Then he got angry. "Where's the comic books!? Where's the young adult section?!"

"Comic b-books? Young adult?" Repeated a slightly annoyed Fukawa. "That stuff's a w-waste of time…"

"I've seen what you write, Mrs. Toko." He said as he pointed to the aforementioned Ultimate. "Talented as you are, your stuff isn't any more "Worthwhile"."

Fukawa didn't like that at all. "My stories are filled with true love and pure feelings!" She raged. "Don't compare them to that garbage of yours! Your writing doesn't even m-mean anything. It's just a bunch of j-jumbled up letters… Someone should just… Burn it all."

"Ooh, the lady doth protest too much, methinks!" Snarked Yamada. "I bet you're secretly into boy-on-boy action!"

"Boy-on-boy…?" Fukawa repeated before getting angry again. "I don't care if it's a-anime, or comics, or fanfic, or wh-whatever! It's all filth! Throwaway culture that'll be trashed and forgotten in half a decade! Ugh… Just t-talking about it makes sick to my stomach. I feel like I'm g-gonna throw up…"

"Grr…!" Growled Yamada. "You've insulted me, and you've insulted my honor!"

These two are starting to freak me out. I've never seen anything like it…

As the two were arguing, Kirigiri motioned for me to come over. When I was close enough, she pointed to…

A laptop…?

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the short chapter, everyone! But look on the bright side: This seems like a good cliff-hanger!**

 **Also, I would like to thank you all who read, and favorited my work on both my Fanfiction account, and my DeviantArt account! It means a lot!**


	41. Day 6 Part 3: Floor 2 (Part 3)

The laptop looked pretty old, and it was still covered in dust. I reached for the power button, but Kirigiri's voice stopped me.

"It's broken." She said. "I tried the power button earlier, but nothing happened."

Well, that's too bad. I was hoping I could use it to go online and see what's going on in the outside world. If it's broken, there's nothing a can really do about it. But I couldn't shake the feeling that it would play a major role.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something on nearby bookshelf. It was an envelope with a red seal and something written on it.

"Hope's Peak Academy…?" I read aloud. Kirigiri walked over to me.

"It was buried under a thick layer of dust. It must have been sitting there for quite a while." She pointed out. "Well, shall we see what's inside?"

"But…" I began. "We shouldn't read other people's mail without their permission."

"What we _shouldn't_ do is leave this here without finding out what's inside." She said sternly.

"O-Okay…" I said. Clearly intimidated by her tone. I broke the seal on the dusty envelope, and pulled out the single sheet of paper I found inside. After unfolding it, I read what was written there…

"From the Hope's Peak Academy Executive Office: Throughout the years, we have been committed to shaping the youth who will one day shape the world. We have a long, proud history as an institution higher learning with full governmental support. Our graduates enter society ready to take on active leadership riles in every major job field. However, Hope's Peak Academy must now lower the curtain on its glorious history, for the time being. The decision was not an easy one to make, but serious issues beyond our control have made it necessary. But make no mistake; this is not the end for Hope's Peak Academy. We intend to reopen our doors as soon as the issues forcing out closure have been resolved. That being said, this is the end for now, and I would like to personally and sincerely thank everyone for your help and support over the years. For now, we are awaiting official governmental authorization to formally cease operations…"

I looked back up at Kirigiri. "What does this mean…?" I asked.

"Hmm… The contents of this letter are quite interesting indeed." Said Togami.

"It would seem Hope's Peak had stopped functioning as a school." Assumed Kirigiri. "And judging by the amount of dust the letter had collected, it doesn't seem to have happened recently. If I had to guess, I'd say this letter could be at least a year old."

"So, you're saying Hope's Peak closed down at least a year ago?" I asked.

"Most likely." Said Togami. "The mastermind took over the abandoned school in order to put on this little performance."

"B-But that would mean it was closed when I got here just a few days ago…" I worried. "But I didn't get that sense at all. Plus, if the school _had_ shut down, don't you think it would've been in all the newspapers and stuff? I mean, you're saying it could've happened over a year ago, right? But before I got here, I looked stuff up online about the school, and never saw anything about this."

"That must have all been part of the mastermind's plan." Togami stated. "They lured us all in here… Someone who could create a place to judge and execute people could potentially be capable of anything."

He then smirked. "Of course, that's all assuming that this letter is real."

"If it _is_ real, though, that does solve one mystery surrounding the school…" Said Kirigiri. "The reason there are no other students here could be because the school had already closed down."

"That would be a nice, simple solution, it's true." Agreed Togami.

"But then… What about this other part?" I said. Looking back at the letter. "The decision was not an easy one to make, but serious issues beyond our control have made it necessary. But make no mistake; this is not the end for Hope's Peak Academy. We intend to reopen our doors as soon as the issues forcing out closure have been resolved. What did they mean by "Serious issues"? That's apparently why the school had to close… Is there any connection between that and what's happening to us right now…?"

"If the two events are in fact connected, uncovering that connection would be a useful clue, on top of figuring out the mastermind's motive…" Assumed Kirigiri. "Although I can't really say any more until we find more details."

"So, in other words, only the mastermind knows the truth right now." Said Togami.

The mastermind's motive… if we can figure out why they would want to imprison us all here, will that be enough to get us out of here?

Anyway, now I have a pretty good idea what's on the 2nd floor, but I didn't see anything that might lead to any kind of exit or anything… All I can do now is hope someone else found something worthwhile…

I'd better head back to the dining hall as soon as possible!

* * *

 **A/N: Again, sorry for the short chapter, but I hoped you enjoyed nonetheless!**


	42. Day 6 Part 4: The Fourth Meeting

**A/N: Hey, all! Looks like we have another short chapter, but I promise this one's worthwhile as there's an announcement at the end! Enjoy!**

* * *

As soon as I walked in, Ishimaru began speaking. "Okay, ladies and gentlemen! How'd it go? Did anyone discover anything interesting, new, or maybe even an escape route!?"

"There's a library!" Proclaimed Yamada.

"And a pool!" Asahina said excitedly. "A freakin' pool! And locker rooms filled with exercise equipment!"

"There was not, however, anything resembling an escape route." Mused Sakura.

"Yeah…" I said disappointingly. "She's right…"

"Well hey, there's no reason to get all sulky!" Reassured Ishimaru. "Wait till you hear about _my_ amazing discovery! The warehouse and bathhouse and the 1st floor of the dorms are now open! And the warehouse is chock-full of food, clothes, whatever you want. There's so much, it's insane! So go ahead and stuff yourself to the gills whenever you feel like it! Ha-ha-ha!"

"Keep in mind, of course, that going out at nighttime is still prohibited." Celeste reminded everyone. "Please do not forget…"

"Okay, and what about a fuckin' way out of here?" Asked an impatient Mondo. "You find anything like that?"

"Oh, well, umm…" Stammered Ishimaru before Mondo cut him off.

"There wasn't anything in the warehouse that we could use to get our asses outta here? Nothin'?!"

"U-Unfortunately, no…" Mused Ishimaru. "Not that I saw…"

"You fuckin' people…" Mondo complained under his breath before exploding in anger. "Who gives a shit if we have a goddamn pool now!? Or a warehouse, or whatever the fuck! We're still trapped in this piece-of-shit school! We need to find a goddamn way OUT!"

"Now, now." Reassured Celeste. "There is no point in taking your anger out on us. Adaption is the key, yes? For now we must find a way to enjoy our current situation."

"Whatever you say, ya fuckin' loon…" Grunted Mondo. Muttering the last bit.

"For now, let's just continue our investigation, and let everyone know if you should discover something." Said Ishimaru.

"So, are we done for today?" Asked Kirigiri.

"W-Well, yeah… I guess so." He sighed.

The air seemed to suddenly grow heavy again. Was this the mastermind's plan? To give us hope, just to turn around and betray that hope…?

Before I headed back to my dorm, I looked at Togami who was silent the whole meeting. He looked like he had something to say, but I guess he didn't have a chance to.

Maybe tomorrow…

* * *

As soon as I stepped into my dorm, that damned sound played.

 **Ding dong, bing bong,**

After that, Monokuma came on the TV, said his usual nighttime lines, and the TV turned off. I know we all promised not to leave our rooms during nighttime, but I was so curious of many more things. What did Togami have to say? What did the warehouse and bathhouse look like? And more importantly…

Who was the mastermind?

* * *

 **A/N: Again, I apologize for the short chapter. However, I hope you're all ready for an exciting announcement!**

 **As of now, I'm working on another story. Now, don't panic! I'm not discontinuing, or putting this one on hiatus. This one will be about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's Adventure Mode; World of Light! Not only that, but it will include all the DLC fighters! And yes, I know that they're not all announced yet, but this will be my predictions on who they'll be.**

 **I hope you'll look forward to it! See you soon! Upupupu…**


	43. Day 7 Part 1: Celeste's Tea Meltdown

**Ding dong, bing bong!**

I awoke to that dreadful sound, and I turned to face the monitor displaying Monokuma in the same mysterious monitor room.

"Good morning, everyone!" He greeted as usual. "It is now 7 AM, and nighttime is officially over! Time to rise and shine! Get ready to greet another beee-yutiful day!"

At first, I thought it was going to be like the others, but he kept going. "Oh, that's right!" He continued. "I wanted to let you all know that your e-Handbooks have been updated! New regulations have been added, so please take a look and enjoy your school life more than ever before!"

After the monitor turned off, I had some time alone with my thoughts. He must be referring to what happened yesterday… "Loaning your e-Handbook to another student is strictly prohibited.".

But right now, I need to hurry up and head to breakfast.

* * *

When I entered the dining hall, I found that almost everyone else was already there.

"Mornin', Naegi!" Greeted Asahina.

"Good morning…" I said as I looked around the room. "Is everyone here already?"

"Nope! Still waitin' on Togami and Ishimaru." Said Hagakure.

"Togami's no surprise, but it's strange that Ishimaru's not here yet…" I assumed.

"Knowing Ishimaru, I imagine he is trying to get the King od Tardiness out of bed." Laughed Celeste.

"I'm sure they'll be here soon enough." Stated Sakura. "Just be patient…"

"I don't mind waiting for them, but there is one problem…" Began Celeste.

"Which is…?" I asked. Celeste sighed.

"I am thirsty."

"How the hell is that a problem!?" Complained Mondo.

"Yamada, would you make me some tea?" She asked as she turned to the aforementioned Fanfic Creator.

"…Huh?" He gasped.

"Milk tea, if you please." Chuckled the Gambler.

"Wh-Why me?" He asked nervously.

"Your roundish figure reminds me of the owner of the coffee shop I used to frequent." Explained Celeste.

'That's your reason…?' I thought to myself in disbelief.

"I can feel my throat drying out. Quickly, please." She ordered.

"O-Okay…" Stammered Yamada before sulking his way into the kitchen. A few minutes later, he reappeared carrying a tray. The gentle aroma growing stronger as he approached.

"Thank you for waiting!" He said proudly. "

"Hmhmhm. Finally…" Chuckled Celeste.

"You c-could've made some for the r-rest of us, you know…" Muttered Fukawa.

Yamada pointed angrily at her. "I emphatically decline! You're not my type at all!" He roared before chuckling. "Hmhm… It's all about the law of causality, basic instinct, act and react!"

"Grr…" Fukawa growled.

"Well then, if you don't mind…" Said Celeste. A small smile played across her lips as she held the tea cup delicately in her hand. After taking one look at the contents, she cocked her head to the side. "…Wait."

Without warning, she threw the cup as hard as she could at the wall!

"What the-!?" Stammered Yamada frightfully. "H-Hey! What are you doing, my little white rabbit!?"

"I _hate_ the kind of tea!" She exclaimed.

"U-Umm…" Began a confused Yamada. "I don't understand…"

"Imagine we are at a coffee shop. Just any normal, everyday café." Celeste began. "I sit down, and I order some tea. They then ask me, "Would you like lemon, or milk?". Now, further imagine that I replied, "Ah, yes, I would like milk tea, please.". in this case, along with my tea, they may bring me a small container of milk, yes? But this is not for me! I am among those who prefer the milk to be part of the process from the outset! The fragrance is just s overwhelmingly sweet that way… Adding milk or lemon right before you drink is like dousing your fries in ketchup; mere condiments! Whenever looking for a café, I first review their menu to see if it offers the proper style of milk tea. And I cannot acknowledge any "Milk tea" that does not add the milk during the brewing process!"

If I had to describe our shared reaction to what we'd just heard, I'd have to go with "Wide-eyed bewilderment".

"Umm…" Yamada said after Celeste's lengthy rant. "I went to all that trouble to make you that tea… And you wanted me to go even farther?"

Celeste sighed. "Yes, I realize it can be a bit of a hassle… Even in cafés that offer proper milk tea, it is always more expensive than simple tea with milk. It takes more time to prepare, surely, but why even bother creating a menu if you are not going to offer the highest level of quality!?"

"Well, um…" Stammered Yamada. "We don't actually have a menu…"

"That does not matter. Hurry up and bring me what I asked for, swine!" Demanded Celeste.

"WHAAAAAT!?" Screamed Yamada. "O-Okay! Y-Your little piggy will bring it right out!"

After Yamada ran back into the kitchen, Celeste chuckled calmly. "Hmhm. I do so love coercion."

"You were like… A totally different person just now." Said a flabbergasted Asahina.

"Yeah, shit…" Cursed Mondo. "You really went psycho there."

All Celeste did was giggle. I knew there was more to her when I first met her… I'd hate to have her as an enemy. Seriously, she's one scary chick…


	44. Day 7 Part 2: Where's Togami?

After that whole debacle, the dining hall doors flew open, and one of the late arrivals came storming in. But…

"Bad news, everyone!" Exclaimed Ishimaru. "There is a mystery afoot!"

"Huh?" Gasped Hagakure. "What happened?"

"It would seem Togami refuses to leave his room!" He explained. "I stood there pressing his doorbell over and over, but he never showed himself."

"Maybe he just… Wasn't there." I assumed.

"I'd like to think so. But I'm worried something might've happened to him."

He trailed off and went silent, but I'm pretty sure everyone understood what that might mean…

"I-It might be a good idea if we all split up and look for him." I suggested.

"Ah!" Gasped Ishimaru. "I was just about to suggest the same thing!"

"Stop trying to one-up e-everyone…" Stammered a slightly-frustrated Fukawa.

"Okay, then I'll go check his room one more time." Said Asahina. "I'm just gonna keep hammering that button till I get a response!"

"Very well, then the rest of us can go check the rest of the building." Said Sakura.

"Yeah." Nodded Hagakure. "Before it's, y'know… Too late."

I was disturbed at the thought that was put into my head, but we just have to do our best to find Togami. So, where might he have gone…?

Maybe he went to go check out the 2nd floor of the school again…

* * *

I made it to the 2nd floor. Hopefully, Togami's here. But where should I start…?

I heard Kirigiri's voice from behind my back. "So, you decided to come here, too…"

"…Huh?" I gasped as I turned to her.

"If you think about what Togami was so interested in yesterday, you can probably guess where he is right now, right?" She asked.

"You mean… The library?"

Kirigiri nodded. Without another word, I ran towards the library.

* * *

When I opened the door and looked inside, I cried out in sudden surprise:

"Togami!?"

He was in a chair, reading a book, and he had a white mug with a beverage in it. Of all the things I'd imagine, this most definitely wasn't one of them.

"Hey, uh…" I nervously began. Trying to find the right words. "What are you doing?"

"I'm fishing. What does it look like I'm doing?" Asked Togami without looking up from his book. "I'm trying to read. So if you could be quiet…"

"Oh… Sorry." I turned to leave, but then I remembered why we were looking for him. "Wait, no-! What are you _doing_ here? Everyone's super worries! We've all been looking for you!"

"Who asked you to do that?" Asked Togami. Clearly unamused.

"B-Because…" I stammered. "We're all supposed to meet up in the morning and eat together. We made a promise!"

"A promise?" He repeated before sighing in annoyance. "Can't I get a second's peace and quiet around here?"

Togami snapped his book shut, and slowly stood up. Smooth and silent as a shadow. Meanwhile, the others must've heard me yell and started showing up. One after another.

"Togami!" Exclaimed Ishimaru. "So _this_ is where you've been hiding!"

"The heck are you doin' here, man?" Asked Hagakure with a sigh.

"We were very concerned…" Stated Sakura.

"Well, you have no reason to be. I was just reading." Said Togami. "I've never read such a… Coarse novel before, but it might prove useful at some point."

"Wh-What were you reading?" Asked Asahina.

"A mystery novel." He replied.

"W-Wait, so are you gonna use what you're learning in there to betray us!?" Gasped Yamada.

"Don't be stupid." Sighed Togami. "It's just something to keep in mind."

"Wh-What?" I gasped.

"If I decide to fight, of course I'll come up with something original." He explained. "Otherwise, this game of ours will be totally boring, right? It's not often you get to take part in such a high-stakes, high-tension activity. So, if you're going to do it, you have to make sure it's entertaining."

And then he chuckled to himself, but not before his words sent a chill down my spine. There was an undeniable smile on his face as he spoke. He looked like he was actually enjoying himself; enjoying this deranged "Killing game"…

"What the fuck do you mean, "Game"!?" Exclaimed Mondo furiously. "That's fucked up!"

"But it _is_ a game." Began Togami. "It's a game of life or death, which can only have one winner. That's all there is to it."

"He is right." Agreed Celeste. "It's a zero-sum game."

"Huh?" I gasped.

"It is a part of game theory, a mathematical model." She continued. "In game theory, what we are going through now is called a "Zero-sum game". In this type of game, in order for one person to gain something, another must necessarily lose something. In other words; it is a situation in which participants must compete for position or resources."

"You mean like… A kind of elimination match." Assumed Sakura.

"Entrance exams, sports tournaments, job openings, most social interactions fall into the category." Celeste explained. "Everyone must obtain something which is limited. For you to succeed, someone else must fail. This also applies to the school life we have been subjected to here. In this case…"

She then ended with words that turned my blood into ice:

"…Our "Limited resource" is that only one of us can successfully become the blackened."


	45. Day 7 Part 3: Togami's Account

"So, this game was designed from the beginning to force one of us to try and defeat all the others." Assumed Togami.

"Th-That… That can't be what they had in mind!" I exclaimed.

"This is why adaptation is so crucial." Said Celeste with a light chuckle. "If those who want to escape were to disappear there would be no reason to continue playing the game."

"But why would I want to stop playing?" Asked Togami. "It's so much fun…"

He smiled again as he said that last line. The smile was filled with evil intent. It twisted his face into something not human…

"It sounds as if you do not acknowledge even the possibility that you may lose, am I right?" Asked Celeste.

"Naturally." He smirked.

"You do not speak like the others." She continued. "Exactly what I would expect from the Byakuya heir apparent."

"…It's just normal arrogance, isn't it?" Asked Hagakure after a short while.

"You talk like that, but what if _you_ end up dead!?" Exclaimed Asahina.

"I won't. It simply isn't possible." Frowned Togami.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?!" Mondo shouted angrily.

"You know, I still can't believe it…" Began Togami. Eerily calm.

"Believe what!?" Mondo grunted.

"That an uneducated, brain-dead, useless piece of garbage like you has survived this long." Togami said coldly.

"I'm gonna fuckin' kill you!" Yelled Mondo.

"Like I said; I won't die." Smirked Togami.

"You keep saying that, but-"

Hagakure was interrupted by Celeste. "Do not bother arguing with him." She sighed. "For him, the concept of losing does not exist. He _is_ the Ultimate Affluent Progeny, after all. A boy raised to succeed from the day he was born. He considers victory his destiny, and has lived his life accordingly. Tests and challenges are merely ways for him to stand victorious. Even if it is a life-and-death situation. Is this not so, Togami?"

"At least one of you seems to understand." Togami chuckled.

"It is because I am the same as you." She explained. "Games are meant to be won."

"Are you trying to suggest we're on the same level?" Togami said. Slightly annoyed. "Close that vulgar mouth of yours."

"Well, well. I do apologize." She said.

"Anyway, let me just say this to all of you…" Togami began. We weren't prepared for what he was about to say. "You all need to try harder. If an opponent isn't going to give it their best, where's the fun in for me?"

"Th-That's a terrible way to look at it…" Trembled Chihiro.

"Hmm?" Questioned Togami. Growing more annoyed.

"This… Isn't a game." She continued. "Our lives are on the line, you know… To kill your own friends is… Is… It's horrific!"

"Friends?" Smirked Togami. "Who decided that?"

"…Huh?" Gasped Chihiro.

"We're not friends." He explained. "No, quite the opposite. We're in competition; we're enemies."

"B-But you know…" Chihiro began tearing up, but Togami wasn't having any of it.

"But what?" He grunted. "Stop trying to force your contradictions on me and just accept what I'm telling you."

"U-Um…" She mumbled. Togami spoke again.

"Yes? If you have something to say, say it. Otherwise, keep your mouth closed."

"…I'm sorry…" Sniffled Chihiro. That was the last straw for Mondo.

"Hey, shithead!" He snapped. "You get off on bullying people that can't fight back? You wanna try that on me!?"

"So, you're back to pretending to be friends, huh?" Asked Togami. "And how long do you think that's going to last?"

"Fuck you!" Roared Mondo.

"Is that all you can say?" Togami asked. Annoyed again. "It's unfortunate you would waste your breath on such empty gibberish."

"That's it!" Snapped Mondo. "You're fuckin' dead!"

"H-Hold on!" Exclaimed Asahina. "Just calm down!"

"I _am_ calm!" Yelled Mondo. Clearly, he wasn't.

"How is _this_ "Calm"!?" She argued.

Togami cleared his throat. Gaining everyone's attention. "Anyway, I don't have any intention of working with the rest of you any longer." He stated. "To cooperate during an elimination game is, well, frankly, it's a waste of time. And I hate wasting my time."

'Waste of time…?' I thought to myself.

"Engaging in "Friendly" group meals is out of the question. Someone could easily poison our food." Togami continued. "And I'd rather not become part of the Last Supper just yet."

"Quit talking like you're in a fuckin' movie or something!" Exclaimed a frustrated Mondo.

"All I'm saying is that, ultimately, you are all free to do whatever you want on your own. Goodbye."

Without a second glance back, Togami left. There wasn't anything we could do to keep him from going. His way of thinking was just beyond anything the rest of us could even comprehend.

After a while, Hagakure finally spoke. "Was he serious about all that…?"

"He was, without a doubt." Confirmed Celeste.

"Well, fuck him, then." Grunted Mondo.

"B-But what he said… He might not n-necessarily be wrong…" Began Fukawa. "I mean, can you s-say for sure someone _won't_ poison our f-food?"

"Hey, come on! You too, Fukawa!?" Exclaimed Asahina.

"Well, it's n-not like anyone would care even if I w-was gone, right…?" She stammered. "Actually, I bet you all _w-want_ me gone! You all think I'm d-disgusting!"

"None of us think that…" I said in an attempt to cheer her up, but to no avail.

"You j-just _think_ you don't think that!" She retorted.

"I know some people like to play the victim, but this is just totally out there." Sighed Hagakure.

"You think I d-don't know, but I do…" She continued. "You want me g-gone! And I'm s-sure the rest of you want the same th-thing, don't you!?"

Fukawa began running out of the library. "Ah, hey!" I called. "Fukawa, wait!"

"Just let her go." Celeste said. "Once she gets going like that, there is nothing you can say to bring her back."

I sighed in defeat. Ultimately, our breakfast meeting came to an end without answering any questions.

Everyone headed back to their rooms…


	46. Day 7 Part 4: Free Time 3

"Jeez, I'm tired already…" I yawned to myself. "But I don't have time to take even one day off…!"

I wonder if anyone felt like hanging out…

 **Ding dong!**

"Huh? That's my doorbell!"

When I opened it, I found Ishimaru standing before me.

"Naegi, if it's not too much trouble, I want you to come with me. I'd like to talk." He said.

"Uh, sure!" I agreed. "Where are we going, exactly?"

"The dining hall." He explained. "Come on! Don't delay!"

* * *

When we entered the dining hall, we sat across from each other at a nearby table.

"I've been wanting to tell you something for a while now, Naegi." He said. "And now that it's just the two of us, this is the perfect time to confess…!"

"H-Huh?" I questioned.

"Listen, Naegi…" He said before getting up and grabbing the back of my hoodie. "Your hoodie is awesome!"

"Th-Thanks…?" I replied uneasily.

"You have really amazing fashion sense." He continued. "Now, wearing a hoodie under your school uniform… Your public morals are ruined! Just absolutely ruined!"

"S-Sorry!" I swiftly apologized. "Did I do something wrong…? The dress code was pretty flexible at my old school…"

"Well that's not the case here at Hope's Peak Academy!" He exclaimed. "As long as I live, I will protect out morals! Take off that incredibly-stylish hoodie this instant!"

"R-Right now!?" I gasped.

"Of course!" He said as he crossed his arms.

Crap, Ishimaru seems to be taking this really seriously… Well, I'd better come up with a good excuse, or I might actually have to give him my hoodie…!

"But this is the next best thing to a hardhat!" I blurted out in a panic.

Ishimaru's frustration suddenly turned to a mixture of surprise and confusion. "A hardhat…?" He asked.

"Yeah!" I said. Making it up as I went along. "I mean, this school's really dangerous, ya know? There's no telling what might happen! So, like… Just in case… Ya know?"

"Hmm… You may have a point there." He said as he rubbed his chin.

"I do! I totally do!" I said. Trying to get him to believe me.

Ishimaru sighed. "Well, if it's for your own safety, I suppose I can give you special permission, just this once…" He said before getting stern again. "But the instant this school goes back to normal, you _will_ hand over that amazingly-cool hoodie!"

"Y-Yeah, you got it…"

"Students these days are utterly ignorant of proper dress code. It's quite a pain!" He explained. "And frankly, I don't understand youth fashion these days anyway! So this is a perfect opportunity for me to teach you all about how you should be dressing!"

"…Huh?" Was all I managed to get out. Getting fashion advice from Ishimaru is, well, let's just say unexpected…

Ishimaru gestured to his uniform. "I wear this uniform 365 days a year, rain or shine, flood or draught, wind and hail and hurricane!"

"Even on your days off?" I asked. "Even on holidays!?"

"School itself may observe holidays, but there's no such thing as vacation for a student!" He ranted. "So as long as I live the life of a student, I will always wear my uniform!"

"I see…"

"Also, I have ten sets of my uniform, so I always have a clean one." He continued. "There's nothing strange about that."

Um, no… I'd say wearing your uniform when you're not a school is _totally_ strange… I'd better keep that to myself, though, or else I won't hear the end of it…

Ishimaru's laughter brought me out of my thoughts. "Hahaha! Trust me, wearing the uniform every day helps keep you motivated! You should give it a shot!"

Ishimaru is exactly the kind of guy I thought he was…

"Nngh…" He suddenly strained. "I'm weak, Naegi… So very weak…"

"What happened…?" I asked worriedly.

"Haven't you realized? This school is missing something of upmost importance!" He exclaimed. "Textbooks! Classes!"

Oh, um… I can't really say I miss that stuff.

"I'm just gonna come right out and say it…" He said before panicking. "I'm freaking out! As we speak, we're being left in the dust by other students our age! I'm totally freaking out! Naegi! What should I do?! If I keep involuntarily skipping class like this, I'm gonna reach dunce status in no time!"

"I-It's really not that big a deal. Just calm down…" I tried to reassure him. "You were always at the top of your class at the private school you used to go to, right? I mean, you\re basically genius level. So even if you miss a few classes, it's not the same as just some ordinary kid ditching…"

Ishimaru stopped panicking and looked at me with pure confusion. "Genius…?" He asked. "Don't say that…"

"Huh…?"

"I'm no genius. I'm a normal person, just like anyone else." He said sadly. "I'm from a middle-class family, you know? Actually, they're not even middle-class…"

He then grew courageous. "That's why I have to push so hard! I have to knock down that wall! It's not geniuses that change the world. It's ordinary people who make every effort they can. And to prove that, I have to keep on making effort after effort after effort! So don't call me a genius! Don't lump me in with those lazy clods who don't put in any effort!"

"S-Sorry… That's not what I was trying to do." I apologized.

Ishimaru sighed. "No, _I'm_ sorry. I got a little carried away…" He said. "But I only said all that because you and me are the same. You and me, we're just normal people. We know what it means to make an effort. That's why I want you to know exactly how I feel…"

"I understand…" I said as I gave him a small smile.

"And that's why I'm so passionate about my work on the morals committee." He continued. "I want to create an environment where everyone has the opportunity to give it everything they've got. That's why I put all my blood, sweat, and tears into creating that kind of environment. I want everyone to understand that, too. In the end, you can't succeed if you don't try. Anyone who says differently is selling something. Effort is everything! That's the only way to fix anything in this world! And I have to prove that to all the ordinary people out there, so they'll keep on trying! I have to become the ordinary man who can surpass any genius! Those are the feelings I carried with me when I entered Hope's Peak Academy… But now that I'm trapped in here, I've been robbed of the opportunity to make that effort… So now what am I supposed to do…?"

"I-Ishimaru…" I said after his incredible speech.

"Sorry, Naegi." He apologized sadly. "I didn't mean to make you listen to my pathetic complaining…"

"No, it's not pathetic at all." I began. "I can totally understand why you'd be upset. You obviously feel really strongly about this. I really7 hope you don't give up hope and start to lose track of what you want to do. If you really that effort is what matters, then you _can't_ give up, right? Because if you can't make that effort, then what do you have left?"

Ishimaru suddenly gasped. "I think until you said that just now, I totally forgotten what I was here for. The foundation of effort is the will to never give up." He said. "You're right. I have to try, not matter the situation. Even without classes, without assignments, I can just look back on what I've learned already and reinforce those basic principles!"

"Yeah, good idea!" I said enthusiastically.

"I'm glad we had this talk Naegi." He continued. "Wow, I feel so much better getting all that off my chest! As my way to say thanks, next time I buckle down for a study session, I'll make sure to invite you! Let's work together as fellow ordinary people to show those geniuses who's boss!"

Ahis face was filled unwavering confidence I was used to seeing from him. I feel like I'm starting to understand him a little better…

But I still think he might be a genius.

Specifically, he's a genius when it comes to effort.

Still, I did notice one thing; he seems to have a lot of hostility toward the idea of someone being a genius. Is there some reason he feels that way…?

Once we were all done, I headed back to my room for a little while…

* * *

 **Ding dong, bing bong!**

After that, Monokuma came on the monitor, said his usual nighttime lines, and signed off.

Another day gone. But even though today is over, this "Game" definitely isn't.

How long is this gonna keep going…?

I climbed into bed, but all the stress and anxiety kept me from falling asleep until late in the night.


End file.
